Coronavirus puts Mumbai's resilience to test

With 15 persons in city testing positive for coronavirus and one dead in pandemic, Mumbai's resilient spirit is again being tested by viral outbreak that has killed thousands across world.

A city that never sleeps or gets bogged down by calamities, Mumbai has braved serial bomb blasts, terror attacks and torrential rains. But Mumbaikars have time and again dusted mselves off and gotten back on ir feet to face any challenge.

However, coronavirus, which has brought world to a partial lockdown, has put city's famed spirit to test again. city's public transport system, which is its lifeline, wears a near deserted look today.

Spread over 390 km, suburban railway operates 2,342 train services and ferries over 80 lakh commuters every day. Mumbai Suburban Railway is one of busiest commuter rail systems in world and BrihanMumbai

Electric Supply Transport (BEST), with over 3,500 fleet of buses, keeps city on its toes. When re were reports that public transport may be brought to a halt, many Mumbaikars panicked.

"Coronavirus is t only emergency, and it is certainly t only illness people can suffer from. A common man has to face so many or problems every day," said Sanjana, who works as a domestic help.

viral outbreak has hit aver Mumbaikar who relies on public transport system to reach his workplace. "Daily wrs use public transport and even food is supplied via suburban trains. If public transport is stopped, what happens to patients who have to travel for medical treatments," said Vijay, who works for a logistics firm in suburban Vile Parle.

Cancer patients from across country travel to Mumbai's Tata Memorial Hospital for treatment and this will also affect m, he said. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's appeal to avoid n-essential travel has worked, with suburban railway seeing a drastic reduction in number of passengers since March 18.

With government offices planning to work with 50 per cent staff, authorities feel that suburban traffic will reduce furr. pandemic has also forced places of worship in city to shut ir doors. Siddhivinayak Temple has closed, while Mahim Church has suspended mass garings and has taken its weekly vena prayers online.

Although masjids haven't stopped ir mandatory five-time namaz, number of people attending prayers has reduced, with many opting to pray at home. "People have been asked to wash ir hands and feet from home instead of doing it at masjids, where even hand sanitisers are made available, said Ezaz Ahmed. biggest garing during Friday prayers is seen at Minara Masjid at Bhendi Bazaar and Jama Masjid at Crawford Market, he added.

Having reported about various happenings in city for last several years, for senior journalist Yogesh Trivedi, coronavirus lockdown is thing like what he has seen before. After 1993 serial bomb blasts, city was back on its feet in 48 hours and situation wasn't any different after July 2007 serial train blasts, he said. Even after 26/11 terror attack, suburban services restarted next day, he added. During monsoons, when waterlogging brings city to its knees, people don't stay at home but find or means to reach ir workplaces, Trivedi said.

Speaking to PTI, Vidyadhar Date, author of book 'Traffic in Era of Climate Change, said, "It is surprising that while re is restriction on movement of ordinary people by public transport, re is restriction on movement of cars. This is a clear-cut discrimination." Even in rmal times, government should curb use of cars, as it is being done in Western countries to reduce pollution and traffic congestion, said Date, who is also convener of Aamchi Mumbai Aamchi BEST.

With motorists w enjoying more mobility people will be tempted to buy more cars, preferring m to public transport, including Metro, which desperately needs more commuters, he added. " crisis created by Covid-19 can teach us a lot. concept of work from home is gaining ground because of outbreak and this will reduce need for travel," he said. Car trips can definitely be reduced this way, thus improving air quality, creating more road and a better ambience, he added.

Having said that, Date observed that real victims of Covid-19 crisis were daily wrs, whose livelihood depends on getting to ir workplace irrespective of situation outside. Public transport is much more tolerable w in Mumbai with fewer people travelling for various reasons or working from home, he said.

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