GHMC to disinfect city thrice in the wake of coronavirus outbreak

Hyderabad: The Enforcement, Vigilance and Disaster Management Department (EVDM) of Greater Hyderabad Muncipal Corporation (GHMC) has decided to take up disinfectant activities throughout Hyderabad.

While Telangana Health Minister, Eatela Rajender stated there are no ‘Red Zones’, the director of EVDM, Viswajit Kampati stated that municipal body officials have marked certain localities where positive cases were detected. The contaminated zones are marked 1 kilometer radius from the place of the patient.

It is to be noted that in Hyderabad, cases were recorded at Filmnagar, Somajiguda, Domalguda and some other areas, according to health officials.

Kampati said, “The areas which have been marked by municipal bodies will be cordoned by police officials and special spraying and cleaning activities will take place.”

Though these places have recorded cases and it will be given special attention, public movement will not be restricted to buy essential items, he added.

Apart from these, he added that the GHMC area spread across 627 square kilometers will be disinfected thrice, ending May 2020. The department has pressed in a strength of 675 staffers, with at least 200 working round the clock to sanitize the city.

Speaking to NewsMeter, Kampati explained, “The task has been divided into three parts, staff to manually spray in colonies, slums and other residential pockets. Jetting machines have been roped in to spray on main road and commercial establishments. With the help of the fire department, specialised tankers are being use to sanitize sensitive zones like hospitals, bus stops, monuments and public junctions.”

The staffs are equipped with protective chemical coated suits, goggles, boots and gloves. Speaking more on this, Kampati said, “Even before the first case of Coronavirus was reported in the state, DRF has purchased protective kits for the staff by analysing the pandemic on Italy.”

He further explains, “There are three phases of the lockdown, in order to arrest the spread of COVID-19. Lockdown being the first, isolation of positive cases and their primary contacts, second. This is to curb local transmission and thirdly, disinfecting the city, which is our responsibility.”

With the first round of disinfection already being done, the second is likely to be around April 15th and third in May, 2020. The santization will continue based on the increase in number of cases, the officer said.