Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to make available municipal schools to use as shelter homes only for resting for community areas residents in the five red zone wards during the COVID-19 outbreak.
The decision has been taken as the number of COVID-19 cases are increasing in the city, especially in community areas. However, PMC has clarified that food will not be supplied to residents in these schools. It is used only as resting area for congested community residents of the five ward offices in red zones - Bhavani Peth, Dhole Patil Road, Kasba-Vishrambaugwada, Shivaji Nagar - Ghole road, Yerawada-Kalas-Dhanori areas.
Speaking to Sakal Times, municipal commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad said, "The residents cannot stay there, and food will not be served to them. This is a temporary arrangement, where the police will also be deployed to check any misuse of school premises. It will help control the spread of COVID-19 in congested localities, within the family and to provide medical help to infected persons, to isolate patients, etc.," he added.
"We decided to open schools for people to rest in congested community areas of five ward offices, where there are over 100 positive patients of Covid-19. Right now, people are facing problems to stay in tin homes in community areas during summer. Therefore, we make available schools premises to take rest."
Objection
Some corporators have objected to the PMC decision. Former deputy mayor and corporator of Republican Party of India (RPI) Dr Siddharth Dhende said, "It is not a solution to control the situation. People will damage school infrastructure and misuse the premises. At present, people need food and medical facilities. Due to the lockdown, people are not going to jobs; they don't have money. They desperately need work, money and food. We cannot lock people without food and work. It will cause anarchy. People will die due to hunger."
He suggested that PMC should continue with the restriction in red zones and free other parts of the city from the lockdown.
Red zones. COVID-19 positive cases
Bhavani Peth: 195
Dhole Patil Road: 134
Kasba-Vishrambaug: 124
Shivaji Nagar-Ghole road: 110
Yerawada-Dhanori-Kalas: 104
