North Mumbai: COVID-19 cases rise; cops, BMC disagree over lockdown

Even as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in north Mumbai areas like Malad, Kandivali, Borivali and Dahisar, the police and the BMC are not on the same page on imposing a restriction-heavy lockdown to contain the outbreak, officials admitted.

While the police wants a total lockdown to be enforced in the region to stem the rise in cases, a senior BMC official on Sunday said the proposal was "disastrous" as the civic body was tracking the virus spread and taking measures to contain it. He said new cases are coming in from high-rises in the region rather than slums and the civic body was aware of the situation.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation data revealed that the case doubling rate in Borivali was 18 days compared to 34 days for Mumbai as a whole, while neighbouring Dahisar, part of R North Ward, was even worse with numbers doubling every 16 days.

"Dahisar and Borivali have the two worst doubling rates in the metropolis," an official said. It has led to the BMC deciding to close shops selling non-essential items in containment zones between Andheri and Dahisar on the western part and Bhandup and Mulund on the central line.

As per police, 431 FIRs have been registered in the north region of Mumbai between June 13 and 18 for offences like not wearing masks, not shutting shops in time among others. "The maximum number of cases have been registered by Samta Nagar and Kandivali police," an official said.

(Photo Credit: PTI)