Srinagar Mayor says 3000 field workers are working 24x7 to break chain of COVID-19

To break the chain of deadly COVID-19, Srinagar Municipal Corporation frontline workers are out, working round the clock to keep the city and its citizens safe.

In an exclusive chat with Republic Media Network, SMC Mayor, Junaid Mattu said, “Around 3000 field workers are working 24x7, but what actually helped us was that we started much earlier, when it comes to lockdown. In the past one month, some 40,000 fumigation drives were also conducted by SMC at different places in the city and the drives are still on."

SMC approached Army

Recently, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) approached the Army and Air force for their help in providing assistance to transship the required chemical. “Yes, it’s because of their timely help, SMC is able to continue its fumigation drives. In fact, the Army along with the IAF airlifted 1,200 kg of the specialized sterilization chemicals from Delhi to Srinagar. Two Dornier aircrafts of the IAF were pressed into service immediately for the airlift,” said Mayor.

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Mattu believes that the COVID-19 fight is not over, earlier, forces helped in bringing chemicals and now they are again getting help from them bring in another consignment from Surat. “We are expecting one more consignment (today) of 150 ‘nap sack boom sprayers’ that will help us in sterilization drive and will also enhance the capacity of infrastructure,” he said.

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Meanwhile, A 65-year-old man hailing from Hyderpora area of the city died today, becoming the first fatality in Jammu and Kashmir due to coronavirus. “Preparing for best never helps and the way the number of cases is increasing, SMC is planning to convert “all its community centres” into “quarantine centres,” said SMC Mayor.

Like elsewhere, here too residents are facing an overwhelming shortage of protective equipment’s, Mattu said, “People who are indoors (and are following all kind of guidelines prescribed by health agencies) don’t need masks, sanitizers et al, in fact, they (people) should save masks and other equipment for frontline workers who are short of protective gear.”

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