GHMC steps up Covid measures

From ensuring food to migrant workers to taking up disinfection drive and fever survey, civic body rises to occasion amid pandemic

Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has engaged all its resources, men and machinery, in the fight to flatten the Covid-19 curve and support the needy during the lockdown.

Ensuring food for workers at construction sites, increasing the number of Annapurna canteens and serving meals for Rs 5, and making sure the delivery of essentials in micro-containment zones and slums is not dented are some of the measures taken up by the civic body to help the people, particularly those from economically weaker section, tide over the crisis.

“As there is no restriction on construction activity, we did not set up special camps for workers but we are co-coordinating with the builders and ensuring that there is no shortage of food for the construction workers,” said N Ramulu, city planner of GHMC Serilingampally zone. “At some construction sites, stay arrangements have been made for workers so that they don’t have to step out during the lockdown,” he added.

An official working in the health wing of the civic body said that localities where economically weaker sections live were on their priority list. “Apart from micro-containment zones, focus is being laid on notified slums and the localities where migrant workers live in large groups. Measures are being taken to make sure the movement of food and essential supplies are not blocked in these areas,” said the official.

Meanwhile, Covid containment measures were also being executed strictly by the civic body. Sealing the premises which were open during lockdown, distribution of Covid kits, fever survey, extensive disinfectant spraying in micro-containment zones, special sanitation drive in areas where large number of fever cases are reported, health assistance over the phone through Covid Control Room and making arrangements for last rites of those who succumb to Covid-19, were some of the measures being taken by the civic body to contain the spread of virus.

As part of the exercise, GHMC’s Directorate of Enforcement Vigilance & Disaster (EVDM) yesterday sealed a plush clothing store on Road No 56, Jubilee Hills as it was allowing customers during lockdown.

Despite Ramzan festival and government holiday, the GHMC covered more than 50,000 households in its limits as part of its ongoing fever survey. Till date over 4.70 lakh households have been covered under the survey. “We are distributing Covid kits to people who have symptoms and trying our best to contain the spread of virus,” said Srinivas Reddy, GHMC Secunderabad Zonal Commissioner.

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