Mission Dharavi, a decisive battle for Maharashtra officials

But with only a handful of people tested so far in the country’s biggest slum, fears are growing that “Mission Dharavi” — a term coined by officials working there — may not prevent the virus from raging across the densely packed neighbourhood. Dharavi is home to an estimated one million people, who eke out a living as factory workers or maids and chauffeurs to the financial capital Mumbai’s well-heeled residents. Around an eighth of them live in hotspots where severe containment measures are being enforced. Its narrow alleys, crowded housing and poor sanitation offer the perfect breeding ground for the virus. “The biggest challenge is Dharavi itself... 10 to 15 people stay in one room. How is it possible to enforce social distancing?” asked city official Kiran Dighavkar.

He is overseeing an effort involving some 2,500 people, including medical workers, cleaners and volunteers, who are fighting to keep cases —at nearly 200, with 12 deaths — from spiralling out of control and overwhelming hospitals. The severe lockdown imposed in five virus hotspots in the slum since the first cases were reported in early April is a key part of that undertaking.

“No-one is allowed to go in or out,” Dighavkar told AFP, adding that “everything, including grocery shops, is shut”.

“Police are using drones to make sure people obey the rules,” he said. A state-run school, a sports complex and a formerly defunct hospital are being used to house patients and as quarantine facilities. Around 40,000 people have undergone thermal screening over the past week at so-called fever camps. And Dharavi’s 225 public toilets — a lifeline for its residents — are disinfected daily, he said. “Right now the community is in a panic... so we have to be a bit careful,” she said, adding that they were awaiting approval from New Delhi. The Roti Bank Foundation’s operations manager Jayandrath Tambe said they organised 4,500 meals daily for Dharavi’s confined residents and was feeding 32,000 people across Mumbai. 

Social worker Imran Idris Khan turned to YouTube to upload videos explaining relief efforts in Dharavi and used WhatsApp to inform residents about where to find food. The capital of Maharashtra State, which has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in India. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray tweeted that around 70-75 percent of coronavirus cases in the state “have very mild symptoms or are asymptomatic”.