Even as several congested areas in Pune city became COVID-19 hotspots, but slum pocket of Janata Vasahat has managed to fight the virus with coordinated efforts of its residents and authorities. Situated along Sinhgad Road, Janata Vasahat is cover two to three km area and features a total population of 60,000.
The locality has only reported two cases of COVID-19 thus far , and therefore the Pune Municipal Corporation plans to stay it that way. Pune municipal commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad attributed the success of controlling the spread to containment measures undertaken by the civic body and therefore the geographical location of the slum.
“Nestled between a hillock called Parvati and a water body off Sinhgad Road, Janata Vasahat only has one entry and exit point, restricting people’s movement within the area,” the senior official said.
A couple of doctors from the civic body were active within the area and were working tirelessly to detect persons affected by mild symptoms of COVID-19, he said.
“So early detection and tracking are crucial to the success we’ve achieved during this locality,” he added.
The coordinated efforts of youth volunteers, corporators and therefore the police in ensuring social distancing had also paid off, Gaikwad said.
When coronavirus cases started emerging from slums in Pune, the local police in Janata Vasahat tightened vigilance and began creating awareness also .
Self-discipline exercised by residents of the locality along side coordination among the local groups, police and civic staff had kept things in check , said senior inspector Devidas Gheware of Datta Wadi police headquarters within the locality.
Zonal medic of the locality Dr Deepak Pakhale said door-to-door survey, tracing of symptomatic patients, monitoring senior citizens affected by comorbid conditions, distributing masks and sanitisers had helped keep Janata Vasahat safe from the pandemic.
