Mumbai Buzz: 11-member task to control measles crisis| 2,900 slum toilets to be repaired…and more

WEEKLY NEWS ROUND-UP FROM MUMBAI

Boys walking along railway tracks with a bucket of water
Children are a lot more uncomfortable using poorly maintained public toilets. Photo: Sharada Prasad CS/Flickr (CC by 2.0)

State deploys 11-member task force to control Measles crisis

Maharashtra has formed an 11-member task force to control the measles crisis in the state. The task force will include paediatricians, an epidemiologist, representatives from WHO, UNICEF, health officials from BMC and National Institute of Virology, Pune.

There have been 89 measles outbreaks in Maharashtra so far with 12,241 suspected cases and 745 confirmed cases. This is a 700% jump compared to the previous year. Data suggests Mumbai to be the epicentre, accounting for 37 of 89 outbreaks.

Source: Times of India


Read: Missed vaccines, misinformation and other gaps highlighted by Mumbai’s measles outbreak


Mumbai records two COVID-19 cases on Dec 1, lowest since March 2020

On December 1st, Mumbai reported two COVID-19 cases, the lowest since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. One of the two infected with the virus required hospitalisation.

The last time the city recorded cases in single digits was on March 27th, 2020. Cases remained in double digits or more since then until November 19th, 2022. The cases were in single digits for three consecutive days since November 27.

Up until December 1st, the city recorded 11,54,991 COVID-19 cases, of which 19,744 patients succumbed to the infection. At present, out of the 549 ventilator beds reserved for COVID patients, five are occupied and 11 patients are in ICU.

Source: The Indian Express

Plans to reshape 2,900 toilets in Mumbai’s suburban slums

Repair works for 2,900 toilets in Mumbai’s suburban slum areas will begin from December 1st. The project is expected to cost around Rs 188 crores and will include reconstruction of toilets that are in bad condition.

The city’s Suburban Guardian Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha has asked the district administration to come up with a detailed plan for the same. Lodha is a six-time MLA from the BJP and represents the Malabar Hill constituency. He is also the tourism minister in the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government.

The move to repair or reconstruct toilets in slum areas is part of the minister’s plan to improve the living conditions of the residents of Mumbai Suburban district.

Source: Mid-Day

woman entering public toilet in Mumbai
Public toilet at Akurli road. Pic: Arathi Manay

Read more: Many are averse to using public toilets in Mumbai. Here’s why.


Adani group wins the bid to redevelop Dharavi

The Adani Group won the bid to carry out Dharavi redevelopment works with an initial investment of Rs 5,069 crore. The total project cost is estimated at Rs 20,000 crores.

This is the fourth time in the last 18 years that the state is attempting to redevelop Asia’s largest slum cluster, which is home to close to 58,000 families and has around 12,000 commercial establishments.

Source: The Hindu

Man making pottery
From Kumbharwada, the pottery production center of Dharavi. Pic: SriChinnu/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Reconstruction of Bandra skywalk comes to halt temporarily

Reconstruction of the Bandra skywalk came to a halt due to technical reasons arising in design and will resume after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation approves new design and additional costs.

The skywalk has remained shut for the past three years. At present, thousands of pedestrians make their way to the station through a crowded, dirty road. The reconstruction works for the skywalk began in February this year and it was supposed to be completed within 18 months. However, the design changes will now delay the project.

Source: Mid-Day

[Complied by Eshan Kalyanikar]

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The News Desk at Citizen Matters puts out Press Releases, notifications and curated information useful to the urban reader.