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Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to impose a fine of Rs 200 on people seen wandering without masks. The decision will be implemented from Monday. The number of Corona patients in Mumbai has started increasing once again as people are seen violating the rules of Covid-19 and even people are flouting the instructions of the BMC. Therefore, the civic authorities have decided to take strict steps.
In a single day, 2,321 Corona infected patients were reported in Mumbai on Saturday. In the last one month, 40,037 patients have been admitted in Mumbai and 1,118 patients have died. Concerns are being raised that the number of patients is increasing again. Corona infection in Mumbai was largely brought under control before the Ganeshotsav. The number of patients was limited to an average of 700 per day but now it seems to have reached beyond 2000 per day once again. In Mumbai, the rate has increased up from 0.80 per cent to 1.21 per cent.
After the Ganoshotsav celebrations in the last week of August, and the Unlock 4 began on August 31, a lot of things have slowed down. A large number of people stepped out of the house. Once again people were seen crowding the streets, markets etc. The shops are abuzz with activity like it was before the Corona pandemic. Many people stopped using masks while pacing out of their houses.
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Social distancing is nowhere to be seen to be followed by the people. As a result, the number of infected patients in Mumbai has been on the rise for the last 15 to 20 days. But only citizens are not alone to be held responsible for this situation as they were sitting idle in their homes, since March to August during the time of lockdown.
Though people were scared of the pandemic, they knew that they had to step out of their houses to earn bread and butter for the survival of their families. Suburban trains are not fully operational and accessible to all, and also there is a condition that people who work only as essential service providers. In such situations citizens were left with no option but to stand in queues for long hours and also they are still travelling in crowded buses all these are all reasons that have also been the main reason for such upsurge in the numbers.
BMC has constantly appealed to obey the Covid 19 rules such as maintaining social distance, wearing masks, using sanitizers, stepping out of the house if it’s really important. Even after this, the corporation tried to create awareness by various means among the people on a large scale.
“We have directed all 24 ward offices to take stern action against the violators. We have formed teams of officers and staff at various places to keep a close watch on people who are not wearing masks. Such violators will be imposed with a fine of Rs 200 and action would be initiated from the ward where the number of corona patients is increasing or from the department from which more complaints have been received,” said Additional Municipal Commissioner, Suresh Kakani.
The municipal authority had collected a fine of Rs 27 lakh in five months by initiating punitive action in April. However, this action was slowed down as many of the public representatives had objected to it saying that during lockdown all works, business of citizens is shut down due to lockdown and at such time penalizing them is not at all appropriate. After which, the BMC had given more emphasis on creating awareness among the people to follow the rules set by the government and BMC to keep one’s self-safety.
