Mumbai police personnel on lockdown duty were attacked by a mob at a Govandi market on Sunday. A police officer suffered injuries to his right wrist when a person from the 25-strong crowd tried to hit him on the head with an iron rod. The officer managed to block the blow with his right hand.

The incident occurred at 6.50 pm on Sunday when a large number of people had stepped out of their homes amid the Coronavirus lockdown and 10 police personnel on the spot asked the people to disperse. Senior Police Inspector Sudarshan Paithankar said that the "illegal crowd" had refused to listen when they were asked to return home.

"There was a large crowd with 25 to 30 active members. A person who was in the crowd tried to kill the police officer by aiming for his head with an iron rod, but the (officer) managed to block the blow with his hand, which got injured," he said. "They also pelted stones at the authorities, chanted anti-police slogans, and damaged a police vehicle, hence we had to resort to lathi-charge."

An FIR has been registered at Shivaji Nagar police station against 25 unknown men and two women, under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 353 (Assault or criminal force to prevent public servant from discharging his duty), 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to public servant to deter him from doing his duty) and other sections.

"The problem of people not observing lockdown has increased in the past few days since Ramzan began," said Paithankar, adding that six people had been arrested in connection with the case so far. "We are looking for the rest of the accused."

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A 36-year-old man was arrested for beating his 70-year-old father in Bhandup to death after an argument on Sunday night. According to the police, the man, identified as Sachin Gorivle was having an argument about his employment with the deceased, Krishna, The Times of India reported.

Sachin did odd jobs for a living and was at home since the lockdown due to coronavirus outbreak in March. When Krishna argued with Sachin about his job, the latter attacked the former in a fit of rage. His mother and sister were in a different room when the incident happened.

Krishna was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

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Social distancing and lockdown may have impacted each one of us mentally, emotionally and psychologically but it is the children and teenagers who have had to cope with sudden closure of schools, cancellation of exams and a prohibition of face-to-face interaction with their friends and teachers.

Anusha Manjani, Manager, Counseling Services at Akanksha Foundation, says, "Children are acutely aware of the sudden changes and panic in the environment around them. Younger children can feel confused, uneasy and scared; older children express feelings of anxiety, sadness and helplessness."

She added, "The uncertainty and chaos of the pandemic impacts all aspects of children's lives- it is not just a threat to their physical health- but to their learning, their home environment, their interaction with peers, their emotional well-being. Moreover, economic hardships, the overcrowding in homes, the lack of access to resources in low income communities can lead to higher incidence of neglect, violence and abuse- making staying at home itself a risk to some children's safety."

In such a time, it is crucial that children have support of their parents and teachers to help them in having a routine and structure to their day. Anusha says, "Parents and teachers can be key caregivers and anchors during this time to support the mental well-being of children- by reassuring them of their safety, creating a space to share feelings and using art, play, fun learning activities to engage with them."

Akanksha Foundation has started a helpline number called 'The Listening Space' for all the stakeholders such as students, teachers and parents to express themselves or just discuss about what's happening. While younger children have more questions about whats happening outside, older  children are venting out their frustration, their anxiety about their parents etc.

Parents and teachers are also coming up with interactive tasks and new ways of learning. Worksheets are sent to the students everyday and once the child solves it and shares it, the teacher reverts with the corrections as well. 

It is not just academics that are taken care of amid lockdown, things such as maintaining gratitude journals and 'doing a good deed everyday' are also being imbibed in the children to maintain their mental and emotional health.

A creative snakes and ladders

"At Akanksha, teachers, counsellors, social workers and parents are working together to support the children- whether it is checking in for the child's well being, spreading awareness of safety measures, encouraging learning through low-cost tech or doing parent-child activities- we are keeping the lines of communication and connection open and strong to navigate these difficult times together," says Anusha.

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Central Railway and Western Railway joined hands to ensure a two-year-old child in Telangana received camel milk — a mandatory medical requirement needed urgently. In a 28-hour-long operation, the two zones of the Indian Railways coordinated to deliver the item in Secunderabad from Falna in Rajasthan.

On April 25, the nodal officer of Falna on WR contacted us and told us that they needed to send a parcel of camel milk to Secunderabad urgently for a medicinal requirement and sought details of the trains on the route, said Jitendra Mishra, chief commercial inspector, Mumbai Division, CR.

"I checked the schedule of parcel trains and immediately informed him that if they will send the item to Mumbai via 00902 Ludhiana-Bandra Terminus parcel train, then we could be promptly load it on 00111 CSMT-Secunderabad train leaving Mumbai CSMT on April 26 at 3.30pm," he said.

Mishra then coordinated with him and booked a consignment to Bandra Terminus first and then via CSMT to Secunderabad. "We live-tracked the consignment with the help of Mumbai Central (WR) control staff and officers. As soon as the consignment reached Bandra Terminus, a transport was arranged to take it to the CSMT parcel office from where it was loaded onboard the Secunderabad-bound parcel train," he added.

Mishra's role was not over here. He then called up the Chief Parcel Supervisor and Commercial Inspector at Secunderabad and explained the importance of the parcel that would be arriving there by 5.30 am on April 27.

Shivaji Sutar, CR's chief public relations officer, said, "The transportation of essential camel milk was based on coordination among parcel staff and the officers. The consignment reached from Falna to Secunderabad within approximately 28 hours."

WR's chief PRO Ravinder Bhakar said that special teams in every division of the IR are taking care of the medical emergencies as well as the essential transportation during this global health crisis.

Sowmya also thanked the Railways for delivering the parcel meant for her child in such a short time.

CR extends another help
Jitendra Mishra intervened again on Monday to help get a crucial medicine for a heart patient delivered to Chiplun from Vikhroli. "We collected the parcel from his son's residence at Vikhroli and booked it onboard Okha-Ernakulam Parcel Express. As the train doesn't halt at Chiplun, I contacted the staff at Konkan Railway and requested a halt to drop the parcel, which was then handed over to Chiplun Station Master," he said.

28
No. of hours it took the railways to get the milk to the child

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After the death of three police constables within 48 hours, the police have rolled out a 10-point strategy to tackle the COVID-19 infection in its force that comprises around 45,000 personnel — both constables and officers. Apart from resting its senior members and changing duty patterns, the police have now begun administering Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to cops along with multivitamin tablets. Provisions will also be made for stay and nutritional food for cops till the lockdown lasts.

This will go on till the lockdown lasts. Ever since the pandemic broke out, senior cops have been given desk jobs but the infection spread among a few policemen and their family members.

Also Read: Exclusive: After Third Cop Dies Of COVID-19, Mumbai Police Sends Personnel Above 55 On Leave

"Our personnel are risking their lives to protect the city. Keeping their personal health and immunity strong has been a major priority for us," DCP (PRO) Pranay Ashok told mid-day, adding, "We have initiated a strategy to tackle it."

Accordingly, all cops above 55 years of age have been asked to stay at home, cops above 52 years of age with previous medical conditions have also been asked to stay home. The duty hours will also be changed from 8-hour shifts to 12-hour shifts and giving cops 24 hours off after that.

Around 12,000 cops will soon be administered with HCQ under medical supervision. Multivitamin tablets and protein supplements too will be given to 20,000 cops to strengthen their immunity.

Apart from this, police personnel will have the following special services:

1. Designated hospitals and dedicated beds in all COVID hospitals.

2. COVID Helpline number for personnel and families at the control room to resolve any doubts or issues.

3. Adequate number of PPEs, face masks, hand-sanitisers, gloves, face shields.

4. Amenities like food packets, ration, hot water flasks, pandals at checkpoints

5. Accommodation facilities

6. '50 lakh ex-gratia amount to all personnel who lose their lives fighting COVID (by the government).

12,000
No. of cops who will soon be administered with HCQ under medical supervision

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Nearly three dozen cops, including Assistant Sub Inspectors to constable-rank policemen, attached to Kasa police station in Palghar have been transferred as a result of the Palghar mob-lynching incident.

Sources at the police station told mid-day that 35 policemen have been moved to different police stations in Palghar district, as they failed to gauge the public mood despite repeated offences by local villagers, who had been rearing their heads against the government.

"Just two days before the barbaric killing of three men — saints Chikne Maharaj and Shushil Giri and their driver Nilesh Tilghate, the mob, in a similar manner, had attacked a doctor. The doctor was spared as he too is a tribal," said an officer from Palghar police.

"Kasa police should have taken stern action against the mob as they had injured policemen in the April 14 incident. Had action been taken against the mob then, local villagers would not have mustered the courage to gather at one place and dared to lynch the trio," the officer said.

Two police officers, PSI Sudhir Katare and API Anandrao Kale, have been suspended over 'dereliction of duty'. However, action taken by both on April 16 — the day of the lynching — has been defended by eye-witnesses.

Meanwhile, the sarpanch of Gadchinchale village Chitra Choudhary has been given police protection after she wrote to Kasa police about threats from relatives of the accused. One of the two watchmen of the forest department, Sonudaji Borsa, has registered an NC against the mother of an accused for threatening him but no protection has been given to him so far.

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With the tourism industry at a complete standstill across the country, a number of domestic animals associated with it have been severely impacted. In the Raigad district of Maharashtra, too, a number of these animals are a common sight, especially at the tourist spots like Matheran, Raigad fort and the beaches. Horses, donkeys, monkeys and stray dogs at all these places have been left without any food to eat. These places, usually frequented by hundreds of tourists every day, have seen barely any visitors over the last month and a half. The tourists would offer food to the animals who are now left to fend for themselves. Even the locals who have pets are finding it tough to manage without much income.

Given the grim situation, the district animal husbandry department along with a few do-gooders have now taken upon themselves to feed the animals and provide them ample drinking water.

Donkeys given dry grass at Raigad Fort

Dr Shubash Mhaske, district deputy commissioner, Animal Husbandry department, informed mid-day that the district, known for its farmhouses, hill stations, forts and beaches, has around 1,200 horses and ponies, of which nearly 460 are reared at Matheran hill station and the rest at the beaches around the districts. With the forest cover in Raigad district, monkeys too are found in large numbers here. "These are often fed by commuters en route to their destinations but that has stopped for over a month now," Mhaske said.

Dr Mandar Patel, Livestock Development Officer, Roha, therefore, visited the ghat areas on Roha-Nagothane road a couple of days ago with his team to feed some monkeys. Similarly, a team even visited Matheran to arrange food and water for the monkeys there.

Animal lovers step up in Pen
Hundreds of stray dogs and 40 cows are also being fed daily by a few animal lovers in and around Pen in Raigad.

"Cimaa Punmiya has come up with an innovative concept of Animal Food bank, where any animal lover can donate food. Kumar Deshpande provides a liquid diet for the strays. The Animal Husbandry department has arranged for medicines," Dr Mhaske said.

Donkeys of Raigadwadi starving
Another animal hit by the lockdown is the donkey. Around 90 donkeys reside around RaigadWadi, foothills of Raigad Fort. Dr Dattatray Sonawale, veterinary assistant commissioner of Animal Husbandry, Mahad Taluka, informed mid-day that the restoration work of Raigad Fort is on for the past couple of years and nearly 250 donkeys were being used to take up repairing material.

"Most of the donkeys had come from nearby areas and only 90 are still at the spot. They are owned by six-seven families who are still staying at the foothills of the fort," said Sonawale. These people along with their donkeys have been having a tough time sustaining due to the lockdown as "the donkeys are not allowed to roam around in the fields making it difficult for them to manage fodder or dry grass," the doctor added.

Prabhakar Sawant, a Raigadwadi resident, said that most of the donkeys are hired by contractors of restoration work.

After the district collector's directives, Sonawale and his team approached a few NGOs requesting them to provide dry grass, rice bran, wheat bran and medicines required for treating some injured donkeys. "Accordingly, potable water of 1,000 liters has been provided at the spot," he said, adding that the effort will continue to provide feed and dry grass to the donkeys till they are "in our jurisdiction and ration kits will be given to their owners."

'Everyone will be taken care of'
Nidhi Choudhari, district collector, told mid-day that the collector's office was doing everything to reach out to migrant workers and underprivileged people by providing ration kits and organising community kitchens with help from NGOs and corporates. "Directions have also been given to the Animal husbandry department to ensure that animals and strays are taken care of. Many animal lovers too have volunteered to help," Choudhari said.

1,200
Approx no. of horses/ponies in Raigad district

460
No. of horses/ponies at Matheran

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The Mumbai Police on Tuesday asked its personnels who are above 55 years of age to stay at home during the coronavirus lockdown. This comes after three Mumbai policemen died due to COVID-19. In its press note, Mumbai Police has also asked policemen above the age of 52 with previous medical conditions like diabetes and hypertension to stay indoors.

The Mumbai Police also stated in its press note that special hospitals are being designated for police personnel. "Also, all COVID hospitals in Mumbai have dedicated beds for Mumbai Police personnel." "Amenities like food packets, ration, hot water flasks, pandals at check points etc. are being provided to all personnel on frontline duties. Accommodation facilities are being provided to all police personnel who wish to stay back," read the press release from the Mumbai Police.

It also informed that multivitamin and protein supplements are being provided for 20,000 personnel to strengthen their immunity system. Also, a Special Covid Helpline number has been set up for police personnel and their families at the control room to resolve any doubts or issues they might have related to COVID-19. Medical professionals have also been associated with it.

On Monday, a 57-year-old head constable of the Mumbai Police died of COVID-19. A 52-year-old head constable succumbed to the disease on Sunday, while a 57-year-old constable died on Saturday. The Uddhav Thackeray-led government has granted Rs. 50 lakh ex-gratia amount to all personnel who lose their lives fighting COVID-19.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Mid-day online journalists interact with the frontline workers in a new series 'Real heroes of coronavirus'. Media photographers, reporters, railway staff and medical workers tell their stories of grit, determination and every-day challenges in times of the pandemic.

Mid-day senior photographer Shadab Khan is out on the field capturing striking photos of people, health-workers, the police and the city as part of his daily assignment at a time when coronavirus pandemic is spreading rapidly in Mumbai and the entire nation is under lockdown.

 

 

 

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Alhamdulillah just got to know that my covid-19 swab test report is Negative by the grace of god. I tested my self 2 days ago during the special covid-19 test for Media persons who are on field by BMC medical team in Mumbai as our services comes under essential services during this pandemic we have to work on field and visit to all over the city for relentlessly bringing out timely good pictures, news and updates daily, through all the perils and under the most trying conditions. Special thanks to @my_bmc @cmomaharashtra_ @middayindia

A post shared by Shadab Khan (@photographer_shadab) onApr 25, 2020 at 3:53am PDT

We spoke to Shadab Khan about his work and what it's like to be a news photographer in times of pandemic.

Here's an excerpt from the interview.

How has the global pandemic impacted your work?

The coronavirus outbreak hasn't affected our work as such. Since we come under the essential service providers and ours is a field job, it's the same daily routine. The focus is more on pandemic photos as we visit sensetive areas and try to get pictures of people who may have broken lockdown rules and also capture shots of how the police are handling the situation. Nowadays, we also visit contaminated areas to get photos of medical staffs conducting COVID-19 tests and get visuals of the epidemic situation in Mumbai. For us, the work has only increased due to the outbreak of the global pandemic.

Nowadays, do you prepare yourself mentally before going out on assignments?

To be honest, there is no mental preparation as such. But I offer prayers five times a day and pray that I go safely and come back home safely. As a media-person, I also consume a lot of news and keep reading about the International guidelines laid down for photojournalists as to what precautions should be taken. I do this as it helps me to stay motivated in the fight against coronavirus. It is the first time that I am experiencing a pandemic which has changed our lives. I have never covered something like this ever before. Although I have covered riots and other sensetive events, a pandemic that takes place only once in 100 years is a different experience. I have been following international reports and guidelines to take precaution and prepare mentally to fight the COVID-19 crisis.

Shadab makes sure that his equipment, bag and mobile are sanitised in order to take precautions against COVID-19

How do you protect yourself?

Face mask, hand sanitisers and hand gloves are mandatory when I am leaving the house. With the increasing number of cases in Mumbai, we have to take extra precautions as our camera equipment is metal. While shooting, we are constantly handling the camera with our hands and our eyes are exposed when we are focusing to click the pictures. To ensure our safety, we sanitise the camera every two to three hours. Besides the equipment, I also sanitise my mobile phone with a spray sanitiser that I carry with me. After completimg a shooting assignment in a contaminated area, I make sure that the camera equipment is sanitised before keeping them in the bag.

Do you take any precaution while heading back home after doing on-field reporting?

Though it is risk to be outside during the pandemic, the real challenge begins when we get back home to be with our families. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, I have isolated myself to another room and make sure that I maintain social distancing with my family members. While leaving for work and after coming back home, I don't hug my children. Since day one, I am practising self-quarantine to keep my family safe and away from any risk. Infact, I take more precautions at home than I do while I go out. The epidemic is so dangerous that one cannot be sure how the infection will strike.

 

 

 

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A man sleeping outside his house during lockdown to prevent the spread of new coronavirus at Vakola in Mumbai, Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday extended the world's largest coronavirus lockdown to head off the epidemic's peak, with officials racing to make up for lost time. PIC/SHADAB KHAN Paparazzi#Fashion#bollywood#lovemyjob#photography#Mumbai#India#middayindia#covid19#fightagainstcorona

A post shared by Shadab Khan (@photographer_shadab) onApr 16, 2020 at 8:09am PDT

During the COVID-19 coverage did you face scary moments? Which has been your scariest moment?

It is scary to visit crowded localities nowadays to cover the pandemic. In the beginning it was not a problem but since the police have imposed strict rules in these areas, we are facing issues. On few occasions, people in these localities have attacked and abused us, blaming the media for the strict police action. But all localities are not the same. We keep calm and ensure that we don't fight back or argue with the people when faced with a hostile situation. To ensure our own safety, we move out of the place quickly if we are confronted by the crowd.

Did you face challenges from the police while covering the COVID-19 pandemic?

In the beginning the police officials were not aware that the media comes under the essential services list and stopped us from entering certain areas which led to arguments sometimes. But gradually they understood and let us do our jobs. When they see the cameras and we show them our press cards, they ask us where we are going and all, that's it.

How is your department and the organisation supporting you?

We are getting the support of our department and the organisation in every possible way. I have been working in mid-day for 15 years and the organisation has been always supportive, our managers do not pressurise us for assignments. My reporting officer calls twice a day and inquires about my whereabouts and tells me to be extra careful while visiting contaminated zones and avoid going to sensitive areas frequently. We are always told to ensure safety first before work.

Shadab feels that practicing social distancing in Dharavi where people are cramped in small houses is nearly impossible

Although he covers different areas every day, Shadab makes it a point to visit a contaminated area at least once a day to check if any new development has taken place. Speaking about Dharavi, which has emerged as one of the biggest contaminated zones in Mumbai, Shadab said, "I visit Dharavi to see how the labourers are doing and how the small scale industries are coping with the COVID-19 epidemic"

"Everyone is talking about social distancing but it is not possible in Dharavi. Most houses in the locality are 8X8 small houses with 8 to 10 people cramped inside. In order to click a picture, one has to stand at the door and shoot, social distancing in areas such as Dharavi is almost impossible. The lanes in Dharavi are so narrow that if people are coming from the other side it is impossible to walk past them without making physical contact," added Shadab.

Besides Dharavi, Shadab carries out his photo assignments in Bandra, Sion and Wadala.

What is your message to the general public?

We are out on the roads because we have a responsibility as essential service providers. I would request people to stay home as far as possible. Only by staying home will you be safe! Follow the guidelines laid down by the government and maintain social distancing.

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Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan, who had been undergoing treatment for Neuroendocrine tumour since the last two months, breathed his last on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Paan Singh Tomar actor was admitted to Kokilaben Hospital for a colon infection. While a host of Bollywood celebrities mourned his death, politicians across parties took to Twitter to pay homage to the most 'Versatile' actor of the Indian Film Industry.

Irrfan Khan’s demise is a loss to the world of cinema and theatre. He will be remembered for his versatile performances across different mediums. My thoughts are with his family, friends and admirers. May his soul rest in peace.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 29, 2020

Saddened by the demise of the late actor, PM Narendra Modi said that Irrfan Khan's demise is a loss to the world of cinema and theatre. While offering his condolence to the the late actor's family, PM Modi said that Irrfan will be remembered for his versatile performances across different mediums.

With the untimely demise of #IrrfanKhan, we lost a versatile actor.
Not just a hardworking actor but he was also a good cricketer but couldn’t persue due to lack of funds. His TV and film presence is unparalleled and has been giving confidence & motivation to many.
(1/2)

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) April 29, 2020

Remembering the fond memories that he shared with the late actor, former CM of Maharashtra and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said that Irrfan was also a good cricketer but couldn't persue it due to lack of funds. While Rajya Sabha Member and actor Shatrughan Sinha said that Irrfan was a man of few words, but a volcano of talent.

Here's how other's paid homage to Irrfan Khan:

Heartfelt condolences on the untimely demise of a self made, brilliant, versatile actor par excellence our own #IrrfanKhan. He was certainly one of the best in our film industry. A thorough gentleman & fine human being @irrfank. A man of few words, but a volcano of talent.

— Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) April 29, 2020

Saddened to hear about the demise of #IrrfanKhan.

One of India’s most versatile actors and a true gem of a person, my thoughts are with his family and friends in this hour of grief. Om Shanti.

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) April 29, 2020

Sorry to hear about the untimely passing of #IrrfanKhan. He was a truly talented & versatile actor, who helped India shine around the world. His presence will be missed on & off screen. My thoughts & prayers are with his friends & family.

— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) April 29, 2020

Saddened to hear about the passing of Irrfan Khan. The Indian film industry has lost a much accomplished artist, who was also a warm, affectionate and humble person. He will be missed by all!#IrrfanKhan #RIPIrfan pic.twitter.com/QrfhJxSYBR

— N Chandrababu Naidu #StayHomeSaveLives (@ncbn) April 29, 2020

सिनà¥Â‡à¤Â…भिनà¥Â‡तà¥Â‡ à¤Â‡रफान à¤Â–ान याà¤Â‚à¤Âšà¥Âया निधनाà¤Âšà¥Â€ बातमà¥Â€ à¤Âà¤Â•à¥Â‚न दà¥Âà¤Âƒà¤Â– à¤Âालà¥Â‡. à¤Â…तिशय सà¤Â‚à¤Â˜रà¥Âष à¤Â•रà¥Â‚न पà¥Âढà¥Â‡ à¤Â†लà¥Â‡लà¥Âया या à¤Â…भिनà¥Â‡तà¥Âयानà¥Â‡ à¤Âœाà¤Â—तिà¤Â• सिनà¥Â‡मात à¤Â†पलà¥Âया à¤Â…भिनयाà¤Âšा ठसा à¤Â‰मà¤ÂŸविला हà¥Â‹ता. तà¥Âयाà¤Â‚à¤Âšà¥Âया निधनानà¥Â‡ दà¥Â‡श à¤Âà¤Â•ा महान à¤Â•लाà¤Â•ाराला मà¥Âà¤Â•ला à¤Â†हà¥Â‡.
तà¥Âयाà¤Â‚ना भावपà¥Â‚रà¥Âण शà¥Âरदà¥Âधाà¤Â‚à¤Âœलà¥Â€ðŸ™ðŸ¼

— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) April 29, 2020

No stereotypical looks, no six-pack, no fancy dance steps, no dynastic claim to a place in Bollywood. It was just talent & a breathtaking screen presence. #IrrfanKhan your courage to speak up when others chose silence was your biggest asset & will be missed the most. God speed.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 29, 2020

We've lost a tremendous actor who shattered all the stereotypes of what a 'Bollywood hero' should be.
Heartfelt condolences. #IrrfanKhan

— Prakash Ambedkar (@Prksh_Ambedkar) April 29, 2020

My sincere tributes to the great magician of an actor, the legendary #IrrfanKhan who weaved magical emotions into his characters with utmost ease in each of his acts!

Indian Cinema will struggle to fill the void to be felt by his absence!Condolences to near & dear#RIPIrrfanKhan

— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) April 29, 2020

Omar Abdullah, former CM of Jammu and Kashmir said that Irrfan had talent and a breathtaking screen presence which helped him cement a place in the Bollywood film industry. Poitician and advocate Prakash Ambedkar said that the Irrfan shattered all the stereotypes of what a 'Bollywood hero' should be, while former Deputy Chief Minister, Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav said that Irrfan weaved magical emotions into his characters with utmost ease in each of his acts!

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Mumbai Police has been dropping creative posts to spread awareness about the Coronavirus lockdown and why it is best for you to stay home on their social media accounts. After giving its followers who are not abiding the lockdown options to chose from, the police department is back with an interesting post with a twist.

 "Increase your phone's brightness... There's a very bright idea waiting for you!" the police department wrote in the post on Instagram, and shared what appears to be a pitch-black picture. A Baburao-style secret message appears once you increase the brightness of your phone.

 

 

 

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A post shared by Mumbai Police (@mumbaipolice) onApr 28, 2020 at 9:25pm PDT

The hilariously interactive post shared a few hours ago managed to garner 18,361 likes with many lauding the creativity. One user who noticed that the word risk was misspelled as 'ricks', the police department was quick in coming up with an apt reply saying, "Yeh Babu Rao ka style hai!"

Another user said, "I read it like Baburao." A user said, "When Mumbai Police is out patrolling, bahar jaaneka bilkul ricks nai leneka."

What do you think about the post?

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Early on Wednesday morning, 27 students and six parents from Raigad district, who were among the 2,000 Maharashtra residents stranded in Kota, Rajasthan, arrived at the Gram Vikas Bhavan in Kharghar in a special private bus arranged by the district administration.

Fifteen of the students are from Panvel, three from Karjat, three from Pen, one from Pune, two from Thane and five from Alibaug, among others. They had enrolled at coaching institutes to prepare for NIIT, IIT and medical entrance exams.

According to the students, who are now in home-quarantine, exams were scheduled for April first week. For medical students, they were scheduled in the first week of May. Both exams have been postponed amid the Coronavirus lockdown.

The returnees inside the private bus

"Around 2 lakh students were staying in hostels and studying at a single institute in Kota. While most states have taken their students back, around 6,000 from Jharkhand and Bihar are still stranded," said Gauri Mayekar, a student from Alibaug who aspires to study medicine.

"I enrolled at my institute last April to prepare for my medical entrance examination. I had scored 78 per cent in PCMB (physics, chemistry, maths, biology) during HSC. My mother joined me in January and we were to return in March. We had to extend our stay due to the lockdown," Mayekar added.

Some parents from Raigad had approached the district's Guardian Minister Aditi Tatkare to help bring their kids back. Tatkare wrote to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. District Collector Nidhi Choudhary spoke to her counterpart in Kota and special permissions were issued to allow the bunch to travel in a specially arranged bus.

Another student Gaurav Maurya, 18, a resident of Pen, said that his common entrance exam for NIIT, which was to begin in April first week, has been postponed.

"I had got a scholarship and joined a well-known private institute in Kota. My parents had paid R56,000 for the whole term. My initial plan was to appear for the exam in Kota and then return home. But now I have asked for the centre to be shifted somewhere near my home," Gaurav said.

Amit Sanap, tehsildar, Panvel said, "We arranged for the students and parents to get a medical checkup at Gram Vikas Bhavan, Kharghar. Sub-district hospital doctors checked the students' temperature at the entrance. None of the arrivals showed symptoms of novel Coronavirus. Each of them was stamped for the 14-day home quarantine. All were happy to be home after being stuck in Kota since the lockdown."

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Malad police arrested two people on Tuesday night for selling liquor at a premium and delivering it at people's doorstep. The Santacruz and Kandivli residents had a stock of liquor, orders for which were taken on WhatsApp. Police seized alcohol worth Rs 1.35 lakh from the duo."

The duo would send WhatsApp messages with a list of available liquor brands along with prices to their acquaintances. The message soon went viral and Malad police got wind of it. "We received this information from an informant and laid the trap. We placed an order with Kaushal Mashro, 28, on the WhatsApp number provided in the message. When he came to deliver the products in Kandivli, we arrested him," said a police officer.

During interrogation, Mahsro revealed the identity of his accomplice, Akshay Parihani, 28, and another team reached Akshay's home in Santacruz, arrested him and seized the stock of alcohol. "During further interrogation, the duo said they decided to sell the available stock as they needed money," the officer added.

The duo has been booked under Section 65E of the Bombay Prohibition Act and relevant sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act.

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Staying in paying guest accommodations with a fast-depleting stock of instant noodles, students from Maharashtra in Kota, Rajasthan had been living precariously since the lockdown began over a month ago. On Wednesday, the group had reason to cheer as their pleas were finally heard and state transport buses set out to bring them home.

A convoy of over 70 buses of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), with a break-down maintenance van and spare drivers, began the 630-km-long journey from Dhule on Wednesday around 10.30 am. mid-day had first reported that the MSRTC has been tasked to bring students back and the plan had been awaiting approval.

Student Aditi Thorat hails from Solapur

The buses will bring approximately 1,764 stranded students and drop them in their respective home districts in Maharashtra. Mumbai and Thane have 10 students each. The number of students may have reduced after parents and local officials arranged for private buses as the state delayed in deciding on the matter over the cost of transport. A few private buses reached Navi Mumbai on Tuesday morning.

mid-day spoke to two students who said they have to walk 1.5 km just to get a meal.

"We have been waiting to be taken home for over a week. We got to know of the state transport buses through news but there has been no official confirmation. Authorities in Kota asked us to check on Thursday as that is when the buses are expected to arrive," said Om Ghadling, who hails from Buldhana. Another student, Aditi Thorat who hails from Solapur, said, "We are mostly staying in PG accommodations. When used to rely on tiffin services but amid the lockdown everything is shut. The local government gives food but we have to walk 1.5 km for that. Many of us have been relying on instant noodle packs, which too are getting scarce."

Ghadling added that names of 44 students are missing from the list prepared by the government. "We hope they too get to return," he said. Many of the 2,000 students had arrived in Kota just before the lockdown began to enrol in coaching centres.

Social distancing on bus
A senior MSRTC official said the buses will reach Rajasthan by Wednesday night. Dhule was chosen as the start off point as it is nearest to Rajasthan.

"Only 20 students will be allowed in each bus and the vehicles will halt at two to three places for food breaks. The buses will leave from Kota on Thursday morning. Due to the long-distance journey of 11 to 12 hours, each bus has two drivers. A van will accompany the convoy to help during breakdowns. The buses will ferry students to their respective districts," the official added.

After returning, the students and their parents will undergo a medical check-up followed by the mandatory 14-day home quarantine.

Asked why these buses can't carry migrants stuck in the city, another officer said that they can't be brought to Dhule and that the buses have been sanitised especially for this journey. The buses have been given provisions such as sanitisers, disinfectants, masks and gloves.

After discussions with the government and due permissions, the Dhule Guardian Minister and Minister of State for Revenue Abdul Sattar, Dhule Collector Sanjay Yadav and MSRTC Dhule Division Controller Manisha Sapkal arranged the fleet in a short span of time.

20
Approx. no. of students to be allowed on each bus

Inter-state travel for migrants, students

The Union Home Ministry issued a six-point guideline on Wednesday to states and union territories to facilitate inter-state movement of stranded persons, including migrant labourers, students and tourists. The guidelines state that such movement shall be in mutual consultation and agreement between states in buses, following physical distancing, screening at source and destination followed by home/institutional quarantine arrival

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Even as India is awaiting announcements on the Coronavirus gameplan post lockdown on May 3, there is one Mazagaon couple which is on absolute tenterhooks about the announcement. Mumbai’s Darryl, 75, and Grace Cabral, 69, marooned in Newark city in New Jersey, USA said they "are hoping fervently that we can come back to Mumbai."

The couple flew to Australia and boarded a cruise liner late February from Sydney bound for the South Pacific islands. They were looking forward to their holiday, with no inkling of the ominous Corona cloud looming on their horizon. "We boarded the ship on February 28 and were supposed to end the cruise on March 20," they said.

They were the only two Indian passengers on board. All seemed smooth sailing at first, with the cruise ship making a few scheduled stops, but trouble started brewing as a couple of ports did not allow the ship to dock because of Coronavirus concerns. "We could not see all the places on the itinerary as the ship did not get permission to dock," they said.

Stranded now
A series of events then took place in rapid succession as the schedule went awry with nations reacting with new policies and rules as the pandemic spread. The ship docked at Honolulu after permissions were given and Grace and Darryl were taken by a chartered flight to Newark airport towards March end, along with some other passengers who were planning to reach different destinations. The Cabrals said, "We reached Newark on March 25. We booked tickets to Brussels as flights to India had stopped. We have a daughter in Brussels and we planned to stay with her."

To their shock though, at the boarding counter, they were told that the flight could take only Schengen passport holders. "We had a Schengen visa not a Schengen passport," they explained.

The couple has been in Newark ever since India was locked down. They are in touch with the Indian Consulate in New York. "We have had no flights operating to India. We had our tickets booked on April 17 as the first phase of the lockdown ended. The extension dashed our hopes," they said. Now, they have booked tickets for May 4 through a city travel agent, hoping for the lockdown to be lifted at least to rescue stranded Indians, if nothing else.

Expenses mount
Darryl, a professor of management, and Grace are living in an AirBnB apartment in Newark, with the exchange rate absolutely bleeding them. "Our finances are stretched thin, we are paying at least USD 80 dollars (approximately R6,048) a day only on accommodation. Though we live as carefully as possible, there are food expenses too," said Grace.

"It is fairly easy getting provisions here though since the shops are open. But there is a great amount of discipline when it comes to social distancing. Everybody has a mask on, in fact, shops will not allow you if you do not wear a mask. Within these parameters, we do see people walking their dogs, exercising and a few cars on the roads," she added. Even with all the measures, they have some trepidation though, as Corona cases in the USA are very high, with New York and New Jersey worse hit and the couple’s age means they fall within the vulnerable bracket.

Diabetes medication
This Mumbai duo is struggling to access their diabetic medication, "as Indian prescriptions do not work here," they explained. Under tremendous stress now, the Cabrals just wish "to return home."

They said, "It is the uncertainty that is killing. We can be quarantined on returning, adhere to whatever the rules say, but we want to return. It is becoming quite impossible for us to stay here any longer," they finished, echoing the dire straits so many Indians overseas find themselves in.

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As many as 160 personnel of the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) have been keeping your city clean in an effort to prevent the spread of the deadly novel Coronavirus. Thirty-two teams of the MFB have sanitised more than 3,000 places, including hospitals and containment zones, over the past month.

The MFB teams, following the instructions of the BMC's health department, have disinfected 3,063 spots using 2.47 lakh litres of sodium hypochlorite. They have been disinfecting hospitals and the areas, which have been sealed following a spurt in cases of COVID-19 infections, on alternate days. The fire department said they are using 17 quick response vehicles, nine mist blowing machines and six boom mist machines to sanitise the affected places.

The real challenge is to disinfect the gullies around the houses and narrow pathways in the slum where hardly one person can walk at a time, said an officer from the MFB. "The number of containment zones in the slum has increased, but the fire brigade team is working hard to sanitise all the areas in time, and effectively," the officer added.

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Clearing the path for those stranded at different places across the country, the Union home ministry issued orders to state governments and union territories to facilitate their movement within and between states. It has further said that individuals should be medically screened at the source point and destination and kept in home or institutional quarantine on arrival as per the COVID-19 guidelines issued earlier.

The decision comes after many of the chief ministers demanded the same at the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, since trains would not be allowed to operate anytime soon, those stranded will have to be ferried by road. Some states, like Maharashtra, have already prepared a plan to send migrants to their respective destinations in buses. It has already sent buses to fetch students from Kota, of which one batch arrived in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday morning.

Inter-state movement
The order says that stranded people include migrant workers, pilgrims, students, tourists and other persons. It also mentions that the inter-state movement should be planned by the states and mutually agreed upon to transport people by road and that the states should develop a standard protocol with nodal officers (offices), where the stranded people would be required to register their details. The moving person(s) should be screened at the source point and allowed to travel if found asymptomatic. Buses should be sanitised and social distancing should be followed while seating passengers.

The ministry has also asked states falling on the transit route to allow the movement without any glitch. Passengers would be kept in home quarantine on arrival unless the health assessment requires the person(s) to stay in institutional quarantine. The home- quarantined people would be checked periodically.

No clarity on footing the bill
Sources in the Maharashtra government said that they had expected the order, but rued that it did not have clarity on who would pay the travel bills. "Ideally, the people who have the money should pay or their respective state governments should pay for the long and expensive travel. The UP government paid for the students and migrants from Kota and Delhi. Maharashtra also made arrangements to bring back students from Kota," said a bureaucrat in the know of the matter.

He further said that the government has kept thousands of state transport buses ready for the purpose. "We are in talks with the states. The order, which must be complied with by all unlike advisories in the past, should make the states respond to our appeal. The cost factor should also be sorted out when we negotiate in the wake of the new order," added the bureaucrat.

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After losing three cops due to the coronavirus epidemic, the Mumbai Police has finally something to cheer about. On Tuesday, the Mumbai Police officials took to Instagram to share a heartwarming video of four police personnel who have overcome coronavirus and they were welcomed with open hearts amid cheer and thunderous applause.

 

 

 

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Do you know what gives us the courage to weather the mightiest of storms? It’s you. Your endless love. And your invaluable support. Thank you, Mumbai! #TakingOnCorona #coronawarriors #coronavirus #corona #waragainstvirus

A post shared by Mumbai Police (@mumbaipolice) onApr 28, 2020 at 12:28am PDT

In the 57-seconds video clip, four cops of the Mumbai police can be seen given a standing ovation as they were welcomed back home after their successful triumph over the deadly coronavirus. While sharing the video with their 75,000 followers, Mumbai Police captioned it, "Do you know what gives us the courage to weather the mightiest of storms? It's you. Your endless love. And your invaluable support. Thank you, Mumbai!"

A screengrab of the video shared by Mumbai Police on Instagram

The video , which has gone viral begins with the text, "When four Mumbai Police personnel reached home after beating coronavirus, this is how they were welcomed." As the video moves further, four cops of the Mumbai Police personnel can be seen returning homes as as their colleagues from the department and members of their society welcome them amid cheers and thunderous applause.

Good news for @MumbaiPolice
A police constable attached with Khar Police Station, recovered fully from COVID19, he was released from the hospital today after his report came negative, entire police station staff reached outside hospital to welcome him with claps. @choubeyvk pic.twitter.com/8QwwsmFQ97

— فÛÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂŒضاÙ† خاÙ† FaizanKhan (@journofaizan) April 27, 2020

The heartwarming video ends with the Mumbai Police thanking the citizens of Mumbai for always having their backs. A small short clip of the same video features a constable of the Khar police, who was welcomed by all the members of his police station after he tested negative for COVID-19. The constable, identified as Yogesh Torani, who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus was undergoing treatment at Khar Maternity Hospital.

Since being shared, the video has garnered over 40,000 views with hundreds of netizens lauding the Mumbai police cops for overcoming the COVID-19 crisis and emerging as true heroes. One user said, "Thank you Mumbai police," while another user commented, "You guys are just amazing! Thank you for always being there for us Mumbaikars." A third user thanking Mumbai police for its selfless service said, "It's the other way around Mumbai Police, we're lucky that you have our backs. Thank you for that!"

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Amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Mumbai, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Zone IV) on Wednesday wrote to Addl CP West Region Manoj Kumar Sharma, demanding stricter implementation of rules in the containment zones between Bandra and Andheri, especially the slum areas in the belt.

These include Nehru Nagar (Juhu police station), Samta Nagar and Junaid Nagar (DN Nagar), CD Barfiwala Road and Juhu Galli (DN Nagar), Gaondevi Dongri, Gilbert Hill and Dhangarwadi (DN Nagar), Versova Village (Versova), Kranti Nagar, Anand Nagar, and Behraum Baug (Oshiwara). The municipal authority observed "that there is no fall in the rate of positively tested patients and are rather increasing. It appears that existing lockdown measures are inadequate," the communication said.

It asked local authorities to ensure that the localities, local pockets and chawls are strictly sealed and locked down to have effective control on spreading Coronavirus in these localities.

"This office has frequently informed senior inspectors of respective police stations regarding containment of areas in their respective jurisdictions on a day to day basis as and when positive cases are traced in particular localities," the letter read.

Sharma told mid-day that "the police have already increased patrolling in these areas and deployed more number of officials."

'Lack of individual toilets'

DCP Abhishek Trimukhe said, "We have barricaded these designated red zones and are ensuring that there is limited access. Only the government ration shops and medicine shops are allowed to be kept open. All other shops in red zones will remain closed. However, the main challenge in these slum pockets is that there are no independent toilets within the red zone itself. There needs to be a toilet facility otherwise people will keep venturing out of their homes to use the toilet. How can we keep denying people the need to use the toilet?"

Cops make the rounds of slum areas every day

He pointed out: "There is a heavy space constraint in these slum areas, as opposed to building societies, where containment is very good. The lanes are very narrow in some slum pockets and the population density is high."

Identification system required

Trimukhe said that the police had asked BMC to have some sort of identification procedure for people who are residents of these red zones. "Since the population of these areas is very high, a designated identification system would make it easier to identify and segregate people," he said adding that community meetings have been held with residents to explain the guidelines to them.

'Can't sit inside tiny homes all day'

Senior PI of Oshiwara police station Dayanand Bangar echoed Trimukhe's concerns. "People are always saying that they are either going to get medicines or buy milk but the biggest problem is that of common toilets," he said.

"Residents of these slum areas, who live in a 10x10 house, cannot sit at home all day," he said, adding that in areas like Kranti Nagar, there is zero growth of COVID-19 cases. "Even though this is a red zone, there are currently no positive patients here.

Seven people, who had gone for treatment, and are now back."

1.4k
No. of containment zones in city

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THE city's congested areas continue to see a rapid increase in the number of Containment Zones (CZ) as a result of positive cases in such areas across wards. Out of the total 1,391 CZs in the city, 779 (56 per cent) are in high density areas.

While the southern part of the city — Worli, Dharavi and Byculla has been the centre of COVID-19 cases, in the past 10 days, the northern and eastern part of the city have also seen CZs rise. The Kurla-Chembur belt in Eastern suburbs and the Jogeshwari-Andheri belt in western suburbs, together have nearly 25 per cent of the city's CZs. Out of the 1,391 active CZs, these two together have 322. Byculla too has seen a significant rise.

In the L ward, comprising Kurla and Chembur, CZs increased from 58 to 176 in the past 10 days, with 140 being in congested areas. Most parts of the ward are slum pockets. Assistant Commissioner Manish Valanju was unavailable for comment.

K West ward, comprising Jogeshwari to Vileparle West, has 146 active CZs, of which 92 are in congested areas like slums and gaonthans. The local ward officer said that the number is high because of the sealing of small pockets and not whole areas. "We are closing access to smaller areas instead of closing large chunks. It helps manage essential services. Hence the numbers are high," said Vishwas Mote, assistant commissioner of the K West ward. He added that the most number of CZs are in congested areas like Gilbert Hill, Behram Baug, Gillette Nagar, Anand Nagar and Versova Koliwada.

E ward, that comprises Byculla, has over 100 CZs, of which 37 are in congested areas. Dharavi (G North), Parel-Worli (G South) and Santacruz E to Bandra E (H East) also have a high number of CZs.

The above six wards have 721 CZs, of which 430 are in congested areas. "The increased cases in congested areas is the outcome of the targeted approach for identification of COVID-19 suspects and testing," said a senior BMC officer. The officer added that the strategy includes proactive contact-tracing, containing pockets, house-to-house surveys of contained pockets, fever camps and identifying suspected cases.

Doctors wearing PPE suits prepare to enter Jijamata Nagar, a containment zone in Worli. Pic/ Ashish Raje

Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner, said, There is a personal, social and economical angle to containment zones. If we can quarantine high-risk contacts from these zones and people follow basic hygiene and social distancing, the lockdown can be eased to some extent. It will also benefit society at large and will even be helpful for the economy. There are secondary industries in congested areas which provide raw material or services to mainstream industries. If the number of positive patients comes down in places like Dharavi, it will surely help the economy of the entire city."

Mumbai's Containment Zones (CZ)

Active CZs: 1,391
Released: 318

Wards with high CZs (on April 18 and April 28)

L: 58 and 176
K West: 59 and146
E: 53 and123
G South: 81 and 92
H East: 53 and96
G north: 15 and 88

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At a time when Maharashtra Governor, Bhagat Singh Koshyari is being blamed for delaying granting a legislative council membership to Chief Minister, Uddhav Thackeray, the former has recommended the Election Commission of India (ECI) to schedule elections to the nine vacant seats of the Council as early as possible.

The request made on Thursday is quite significant because Thackeray must get elected to either house before May 27 if he were to continue in office and give Maharashtra a stable government in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi constituents have also asked the governor and ECI to hold elections if nomination under the governor's quota wasn't possible. The nine seats fell vacant on April 24 but the commission postponed the elections because of the pandemic.

In his letter, the governor has said that the lockdown has been relaxed in many ways and hence the elections to the council seats could be held under certain guidelines.

Welcoming the move, Opposition leader, Devendra Fadnavis said, "This would be constitutional because the members would be elected in due process and it would also adhere to a norm that the governor's nominee should be made a CM or minister."

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While the COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), the Navi Mumbai police department is having a tough time dealing with rumours. In last four days, rumours claiming Janta Curfew or a complete lockdown resulted in a panic-like situation in various parts of Navi Mumbai. However, alert cops managed to tackle the misinformation by alerting the citizens and booked two people.

Despite the systematic management and strategy, COVID-19 cases in NMMC and Panvel Municipal Corporation area are on the rise with more than 250 cases in Navi Mumbai Police Commissionerate area.

"On the night of April 27, a message was posted on a WhatsApp group that, as cases of Coronavirus had increased in Kamothe, to break the chain, a complete lockdown or Janta Curfew was announced from April 30 to May 3. The message further said that only medical shops and hospitals would function," an officer from Kamothe police station said.

"A police officer was part of the group who alerted us and we immediately started verifying the message which was fake. So we summoned the group admins Amol Shitole and Ganesh Shinde, who were questioned and booked," added the officer.

But as a result of the message, on April 28, several residents came out to buy groceries and other household items. To contain the situation, cops went to every shop and stores to assure people.

The same panic-like situation was observed at Kopar Khairane and Juinagar on Wednesday, after the same message with the name of 'Corona Nirmulan Samiti' went viral – with the only difference being the location. As soon as the message went viral, grocery stores ran dry within a few hours. "We don't know the origin of these messages. But some people deliberately spread such messages, which not only spreads panic but also hampers our tireless work of almost a month" a senior police officer said.

Speaking with mid-day, Sanjay Kumar, Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner said, "We have noticed the spread of messages in the social media groups of non-existent curfew and are dealing strongly with such rumour mongers. People should keep track of official accounts and words about such important decisions."

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Mumbai Police shared a heartbreaking and inspiring video of one of the officers who was tested positive for coronavirus,  going away for his treatment, with a promise of winning the battle against the pandemic and joining back on duty soon.

The 15-seconds video was enough to make Twitter users emotional and they heaped praises for the cop for being courageous despite testing positive for the virus. The police department said in the caption while sharing the video, "Our 29 year old frontline warrior, who tested positive for Coronavirus, just summarised what we’ve been meaning to tell you all along."

The video shows the officer bidding adieu to his colleagues and getting into an ambulance that was waiting to take him to the hospital.

Our 29 year old frontline warrior, who tested positive for Coronavirus, just summarised what we’ve been meaning to tell you all along - à¤Â•à¤¾à¤¹à¥Â€ à¤ÂŸà¥Â‡à¤Â‚शन à¤Â˜à¥Â‡à¤ÂŠ नà¤Â•à¥Â‹ रà¥Â‡, मितà¥Âà¤°à¤¾! #AamhiDutyVarAahot #MumbaiPoliceOnDuty #MumbaiFirst#TakingOnCorona pic.twitter.com/tNJWg7Ljsv

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) April 29, 2020

The post shared on Twitter garnered more than 346,400 views and over 18,200 likes and was retweeted more than 3,600 times. The users commenting on the video said that they are praying for the officer’s speedy recovery.

That's the spirit ..salute to such a brave officer ...best wishes for his recovery

— Harish Raja (@hraja2016) April 29, 2020

I Salute and pray for the speedy recovery of all the Warriors who have been detected positive.
Tujhi kalji ghe Mitra.

— Akshay Raut (@akkir) April 29, 2020

His attitude says a lot about the young cop there... god bless â­Â
Yes tension gheu naka ... He will be back soonðŸ‘ÂÂŒ#PositiveVibes

— Neha (@IamNRGe) April 29, 2020

Get well soon sir love you all because of you we are safe and happy in mumbai..

— Aasif shaikh (@Asifshaikhseo) April 29, 2020

Salute ! Salute ! Salute

— Bharati Chaudhari (@bumekar) April 29, 2020

What do you think about the post?

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After locking down the nation with just four hours notice on March 24 and leaving lakhs of migrant workers high and dry, the Centre on Friday launched Shramik Special trains to transport these workers and other stranded people home.

Indian Railway appealed to people not to crowd stations as the trains are only for those screened and registered by state governments. “No one should come to the station looking for trains. We will not issue tickets or entertain request from any group or individual. We will allow only those passengers whom state officials bring. The State is the final authority on deciding who travels,” an Indian Railway spokesperson said. The first train from Maharashtra, Nashik-Bhopal Shramik Special departed from Nashik station at 9:30 pm on May 1 as scheduled.

These special, non-AC trains will run from point to point. There will be different fares for sleeper and general class. The Railways and states shall appoint senior staff as Nodal Officers for coordination.

Migrants onboard a train for Hatia, Jharkhand at Lingampally, Telangana. Pic/PTI

Passengers have to be screened by states sending them and only asymptomatic people would be allowed to travel. Sending states have to bring these people in batches to the designated station in sanitised buses following social distancing norms and other precautions. It will be mandatory for every passenger to wear face masks. Meals and drinking water have to be provided by the sending states at the originating station. Railways said they will ensure social distancing, hygiene and provide a meal on longer journeys. On arrival, the home state has to screen, quarantine passengers if necessary and arrange further travel from the station.

Nine-point plan

Maharashtra’s Minister of Transport Anil Parab gave the following guidelines travellers must follow:

• Those willing to leave Maharashtra should fill forms and submit them to local police stations through their group leaders.
• The form will require basic details like name, address in migrant and home state, Aadhar card, mobile number. Each train will carry 1,000 passengers.
• Each migrant must get a certificate from a doctor stating that the traveller does not have COVID-19 symptoms.
• Based on this information, state will decide on booking tickets and make a list based on the applications.
• After preparing list, state will seek permission from the home state. After receiving NoC, action will be taken by district collectors to help passengers reach home.
• A section of the form will ask the traveller to choose the mode of transport — rail or road.
• Those wishing to travel by bus can form groups of 25, arrange a bus and inform the local police. Each state and district will have nodal officers.
• There is no restriction of movement within the state. Those who have gone out of Mumbai and are stuck can return. No restriction on people returning from Green Zones.
• However, people residing in Red Zones, especially in containment zones, cannot move.

No respite for Red Zone migrants?

People stranded in Containment Zones and Red Zones are likely to be prevented from leaving. This means many migrants in MMR, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nashik, Nagpur, Yavatmal and other affected districts stand no chance of leaving. Nodal officers at the district and state headquarter levels have started getting requests from people.

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The financial crisis caused due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to school fees becoming a major point of discussion. While many schools have introduced novel concepts to ease the burden, parents are also discussing ways with managements to avoid issues with salary to staff.

Despite the constant demand by parents to cancel fees or give concessions, this is not possible for all schools. Principal of Smt. Sulochanadevi Singhania School in Thane, Revathy Srinivasan said, "Schools cannot do away with fees, after all, salaries need to be paid to staff."

Some relax norms

Many schools have their own model of relaxation in fees. Meera Isaacs, principal of Cathedral and John Connon School, said, "If some parents are facing genuine issues, we consider them. We have also waived off fine on late payment of fees."

Similarly, at the Sri Sri Ravishankar Vidya Mandir, the late fee is waived. Despite a PTA-approved hike in fees to be implemented this year, the school has decided to continue with the old fee structure for three months. Principal Rekha Kapoor, said, "This decision was taken due to the current situation."

Jamnabai Narsee School has not spoken anything about fees as yet. "Generally parents pay fees in the month of April. But we have not collected fees as we are yet to take a decision. We are not going to push for them so fast," said principal Zeenat Bhojabhoy.

Bombay Scottish, Mahim has deferred the increase in fees for the forthcoming year. Dhirubhai Ambani International School has decided to waive off transport and canteen fees. At Pawar Public School, one month extension was provided to parents to pay the first instalment.

'Govt must intervene'

Former education minister Ashish Shelar has written a letter to Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad, asking her to issue an order to schools to rollback fee hikes. But parents feel that the issue should not be politicised.

President of Parents of Private Schools of Maharashtra (POPSOM), Milind Gangurde said, "Many parents are dependent on jobs. Some are facing huge salary cuts or loss of jobs due to the situation. It is time the government intervenes and takes a strong stand in favour of parents."

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A PIL has been filed in Bombay High Court asking the government to make a strategy for exiting the lockdown. It further asks the government to make plans for the protection of health care workers, police officials, and others providing essential services. The PIL also demands the deployment of the army in sensitive areas.

The petitioner Dr Syed Ejaz Abbas Naqvi said, "There is growing negativity in the minds of the citizens of Maharashtra amidst the current lockdown and the possibility of its extension. Some violators are roaming freely hence, the intervention of the army and para-military is required."

The advocate of the petitioner Vishal Satyaprakash Saxena said that the PIL is filed asking the government of Maharashtra to formulate and disclose the strategy to exit the lockdown and to formulate guidelines for the well-being of the citizens of Maharashtra. The court will hear the manner on May 13.

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Eight lakh people live in over 1,600 areas declared as Containment Zones (CZ) due to a high number of COVID-19 cases, but those living in nearly 60 per cent of them are at higher risk of contracting the respiratory disease as these are congested areas. The worst affected is the L ward, comprising Kurla and Chembur, with the most crammed CZs.

AS of Sunday, the civic body has sealed 1,606 areas, declared as Containment Zones. According to a BMC data, 944 of them have mostly chawls and slums, and with crammed houses and public toilets, there is a high risk of transmission of the novel Coronavirus in these places.

BMC says civic staffers visiting congested containment areas are also at risk. File pic

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's main challenge now is to keep minimum contact points in these areas. With the constant spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases, the BMC has started sealing small areas consisting of around 80-100 houses instead of locking down an entire slum pocket.

"Public toilets are the biggest risk. It is cleaned as many times as possible to avoid the spread of infection. Besides, people try to sneak out of their rooms as their houses are small. Also, there are many small and complex internal pathways, but we try to close all the gateways and separate the Containment Zones so the virus doesn't spread outside," said an assistant commissioner from the Western Suburbs. At 184, L ward, comprising Kurla and Chembur, has maximum number of CZs and nearly 85 per cent of them (157) are in congested areas. The K West ward, from Jogeshwari West to Vile Parle West, also has a number of congested CZs.

Out of 173 CZs, 117 are crammed. Bandra to Santacruz East, i.e. the H East ward, has also been struggling with a high number of sealed slum pockets. However, city's densest ward, Byculla East, has least number of Containment Zones in slums and chawls. Dharavi, despite reporting a maximum number of COVID-19 cases, has fewer CZs because the sealed areas have a large number of houses.

"We planned and executed five levels of measures. High-risk contacts are shifted to institutional quarantine. A common area, like public toilets, is cleaned two to three times a day. A team of doctor checks everyone in the area. There are fever clinics. We focus on senior citizens by checking the oxygen level of their blood and acting appropriately," said Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner.

BMC staff, including doctors, nurses, health and sanitation workers, visiting these areas are also at risk of contracting the virus. As a precaution, the BMC has suggested that they take hydroxychloroquine tablets under supervision to avoid side effects.

7,795 high-risk contacts at Corona Care Centres

As of Sunday, as many as 1,778 COVID-19 patients have been shifted from hospital to Corona Care Centre-2. "Many of them have been discharge from CCC2 as well and they are advised to remain under home quarantine. But the figure is still not available," said a senior officer form the BMC. There are 7,795 high-risk contacts in Corona Care Centres. While the BMC also keeps asymptomatic people at the centres rather than in hospitals, there isn't any data available on the number of these patients.

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You gasped on hearing that Reliance Industries Limited has slashed the salary of its employees. You feel this will have all companies, including yours, to follow suit, for they will think India's numero uno business house must know the strategy of surviving the Coronavirus-induced lockdown and its aftermath. Soon, EMI, the abbreviation of equated monthly instalment, would swim before your eyes, just the way your head would when your solar plexus was socked in high school.

You binged on loans to own at the same time the house you live in, the four-wheeler you drive around, and the latest model of mobile phones and laptops your family members use. These are yours as long as you pay the EMIs, which you committed to because you assumed your income will rise every year. On hearing about Reliance's decision, you totted up your EMIs to figure out at what percentage cut in your salary you would not fail to pay them. You decided to reduce certain types of expenditure, such as not dining out as frequently as you did.

You are anxious, even scared of the future, you accept.

In reality, though, you have been subliminally anxious ever since India turned into an EMI nation post-liberalisation. You have handled the stress of paying your EMIs by exchanging the pleasures of consumption for submissiveness at office. You have endured your nasty boss because you have an EMI to pay, precisely also why you have not opposed unethical practices at office. You were tempted to quit at times, but you did not because your EMI overload implied you could not do without a salary for even a month, the minimum time required to get another job. A submissive middle class has turned the EMI nation into a reactionary one, evident from our politics.

You are not an exception. I spoke to a loan manager of a leading private bank, who services 1,000 clients. On average, these borrowers have an EMI commitment of R60,000 to R70,000 on home loans. Of his clients, 60 per cent live in hypothecated houses, the remaining in rented accommodation even as they pay EMIs on houses still under construction. Surely, their monthly income must be three times their EMI? "No," the loan manager said. "At least 30 per cent of them will default on payment."

Economic boom is a function of consumption on credit. With salary-cuts and paucity of jobs, credit and consumption shrink and, therefore, also the economy. Yes, you have been caught on the wrong side of history. A 2015 survey of the Pew Charitable Trusts in America showed that the Silent Generation (born between 1928 and 1945) and Baby Boomers (1946-1964) were more likely than the Generation X (1965-1980) and Millennials (1981-1997) to say that debts enhanced their life. Why?

The Pew report explained, "They experienced the Great Recession [beginning 2007-08] acutely. Millennials came of age during the period and saw that high levels of debt took a toll on households' immediate financial security and prevented them from saving enough for later, and Gen Xers endured the loss of housing wealth and other consequences of the recession at higher rates than many other Americans."

In different cultures, epochal events, as the recession was to Americans, influence consumers differently. Leo Burnett's managing director, Dheeraj Sinha, wrote a remarkable paper in 2014 – Three Generations, One Big Market: A New Segmentation of India – in which he said the Indian market comprises the Partition generation, the Transition Generation, and the No-Strings Generation. These, roughly, are the Indian equivalents of Baby Boomers, the Gen X and Millennials.

The Partition Generation experienced the epochal event of India's division and Independence, but their hopes of an upswing in life were dashed. This had them pine for stability and security, of living within their means. They eschewed debts. For the Transition Generation, liberalisation was the epochal event. Negotiating between tradition and modernity, they did not think enjoyment was a sin. Yet they also taught themselves to fly "high with feet on the ground." Their high EMIs, in today's gloom, will likely have them think that their parents were wise to have lived within their means.

The No-Strings Generation, born in affluence, finds stability a yawn, divides life and work between what is boring and not boring, and prefers to manipulate the system than rebel against it. Sinha said to me that he expects the No-Strings dudes to continue borrowing for a phone or laptop, even to buy a motorcycle, than take an Uber post-lockdown, post-COVID-19 to evade the contagion.

There is always a possibility that COVID-19 could turn out to be an epochal event and alter the mindset of No-Strings and Transition Generations, both saddled with high EMIs. They will have no choice but to believe, like Ernest Hemingway's protagonist in the Old Man and the Sea, that "man can be destroyed but never defeated." They will undoubtedly struggle and discover, perhaps, a new way of living – and borrowing and spending."

The writer is a senior journalist

Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com

The views expressed in this column are the individual's and don't represent those of the paper

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Tired, hungry, thirsty, dejected and with blistered feet, hundreds of children and adults are currently trudging along the Mumbai-Nashik highway, in the hope that they will reach their hometowns in UP. Most of these daily wage workers had already begun their journey by the time the government decided to ply special trains to repatriate them.

But others began to walk towards their hometowns, uncertain and confused about train services, not knowing how to arrange the required documents or procure medical certificates.

Ashok Kumar and Ganesh Sahani's families are walking from Panvel to Basti, UP

The media has labelled it as the greatest exodus in India since the partition. The workers have been walking from Bhayandar, Bhiwandi, Ulhasnagar, Panvel, Taloja and other places, unable to wait any further for the lockdown to be lifted.

mid-day on Saturday spoke to several migrants who have been walking along the Mumbai-Nashik-Agra highway even from before the announcement of the third extension to the lockdown. Some have walked to Nashik in the hopes of boarding a train.

Vishwanath Shinde's aunt, 70, has lost her entire family so he had brought her to stay with him. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

Ashok Kumar, 27, and his family, including three children aged one to six, had walked 70 km from Panvel to Bhiwandi. The family, which used to work at a construction site till their owner suffered heavy losses and abandoned them, are headed to Uttar Pradesh's Basti district. Asked why the family started walking with children in the scorching heat instead of waiting for the government to start train services, Kumar said, "Kisko achcha lagta hai bachchon ke saath itna dur chalne ke liye? Mai aapko majburi bata nahi sakta. We were starving. I swear on my children that nobody from the government was helping us with food. Some people helped us with 15 days of ration, but how long would they do that?" Kumar and his family decided to walk home when they had only a few hundred rupees left. "We used to send money to our elderly parents and now they are sending it to us, so we can reach home safely. We don't know where these trains will leave from and what is to be done to get into them. Instead we will walk this way, may be someone will give us a lift."

'We'll die at home'
Kumar was accompanied by his friend Ganesh Sahani, who also belongs to Basti and worked at the same place. Sahani also has a 6-year-old child. He told mid-day, "We'll walk instead of starving our kids. On the way someone will help us. If we have to die, we will die in our home."

Sunil Yadav and friends rushed to this reporter's car asking for food. Team mid-day didn't have any but at the same time another car stopped there and offered them food

Kumar told mid-day on Sunday over phone that he had reached Jhansi, but Sahani's family did not make it. They were intercepted by police and taken to a quarantine centre in Nashik. "We were lucky as there was no place in the police vehicle. We stayed at the Nashik vegetable market for a night. After walking for 180 km, some people helped us with food and shelter. The next morning a vegetable supplier from UP accommodated my family in his truck and now we have reached Jhansi."

The heartwrenching stories continued. Another daily-wage labourer who belongs to Maharashtra's Akola district, was walking with his family, carrying his 70-year-old disabled aunt. Vishwanath Shinde, 45, worked with a road contractor in Navi Mumbai. He stays with his wife, two children, his sister who is blind and his disabled aunt, Vachelabai Nahi. We met Shinde near Kalyan. "Everyone is dead in my aunt's family and she is alone. So I brought her to stay with us in Mumbai. I carry her in my arms like a child. We stop every few kilometres to rest," he said.

Sumit and Sarita Dangar are walking with their child and say they have no money

Shinde, who used to earn R700 a day, said, "I don't have a single paisa to afford any transport from here. The government said it will send buses, it will send trains. There are people walking on the roads here. They can send the buses here. Will they send them after we die?"

Sumit and Sarita Dangar were walking with their 6-year-old daughter to Washim. Sumit had come to Navi Mumbai just four days before the lockdown was announced to work at a construction site. " I thought things will get better after May 3 but nothing is going to change. We both earned R800 every day. But all our savings have gone, so we decided to leave the city. Once we reach home the villagers will send us to a quarantine centre for 14 days which is compulsory."

Doctors from Kongaon Medical Practitioners' Association have set up a camp to help the migrants with basic medicines. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

'No help from govt'
Several youngsters are also walking to UP. Of one such group, 14 members worked in Bhayandar and belong to Siddharth Nagar district in Uttar Pradesh. They had heard of a special train to Gorakhpur from Nashik, and started walking there to catch it. "If we can't catch it, we will walk to our home town. No help has come from the government. It's the people who have been helping us even on the highway," said Sunil Yadav. Another group from Prayagraj working in Ulhasnagar, which has a big migrant population, also left for Nashik hoping to board the special train. The group belongs to Prayagraj. "Some trains will go to Lucknow. We have walked for a whole night for almost 50 km to reach Nashik on time. We are starving. Our parents sent some money so we can reach home. We will fight until we are alive," said Munnalal.

Migrants avoid trains
On Sunday, Sunil Yadav called this reporter to say they would continue to walk. "We had checked with people in Bhayandar about special trains. But they said they are facing difficulties to get their names registered, as there are thousands of people. They have been asked to get medical certificates and pay for tickets as well. After listening to all this, we kept walking and have now crossed Nashik," said Sunil Yadav.

Vinod Yadav, a tailor from Bhayandar, and his friends had by Saturday morning reached Kalyan Phata. "We started walking hoping to board a train. But some people told us about the formalities. We don't have a single rupee. How will we pay for tickets?" he said.

Doctors' camp on highway
In the midst of this humanitarian crisis, three doctors from the Kongaon Medical Practitioners' Association have set up a camp on the highway with medicines, which include pain killers, paracetamol and ORS. "We have been holding this camp for the past three days from 6 am to 9 pm for the migrants. We also provide food to them. Almost 500 people have benefitted every day," said Dr Bharat Patil.

"This is the time we must help each other. We have been taking their temperature as well," said Dr Kishore Singh.

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Soon after Maharashtra government directive allowing standalone liquor shops to open in COVID-19 red zones (except the containment areas), AIMIM Lok Sabha MP Imtiaz Jaleel has said if liquor shops are opened in Aurangabad, he would force their closure, adding that it is not a time to sell alcohol and create problems for women.

"Government decides to open liquor shops even in red zone! If shops in Aurangabad open we will break lockdown restrictions and forcibly close these shops. Will make many women come out on the streets. This is not time to sell liquor and create problems for mothers and sisters," the Aurangabad lawmaker tweeted in a series of tweet.

Lambasting the Maharashtra government, he further asked what is the hurry to sell liquor in this difficult time. He further stated if this is the case then why not allow selling everything, why this "privilege only to liquor shops".

The state government had on Sunday issued a list of activities that will be allowed in different zones of the State during the lockdown."The state government has decided to allow standalone shops including liquor shops to open in red zone also except the containment zones. Though there is no restriction in the number of essential shops that can be opened, only five non-essential shops can be opened in each lane," the government order stated.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

People living with domestic abuse will be able to access safe spaces at a pharmaceutical chain in the United Kingdom.

Those needing help can ask staff at the counter to use the consultation room, where they will be able to contact services for help and abuse, a UK report said, adding that it was a desperate situation.

This is an extraordinarily difficult time and isolation does give more power to the abuser.

The Jerusalem Post has a special report stating that at least four persons have been murdered and an four more have committed suicide because of domestic violence.

In India, the National Commission for Women (NCW) reported that it received 315 domestic violence complaints in April alone, amid the lockdown.

This is a record high, one that we can certainly not be proud of and in this pandemic, it is increased as abuser and victim are in lockdown together with all escape avenues cut off.

Let us become more robust in our tackling of domestic violence now, and even post this phase, whenever that may be. First, we must identify domestic violence for what it is.

This means recognising verbal violence too — just because there are no physical scars, it does not mean there is no violence.

Then, remove the stigma from this kind of violence. Men can be victims too, they should not be shamed or disbelieved if they do complain.

Give the victims a lifeline and escape route, call out the abuser and make punishments harsh in accordance with the crime.

We often see domestic violence being brushed-off as a small, internal family matter. It is not. It can be deceptive because it happens behind closed doors and can be deadly.

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been readying quarantine centres and acquiring hospitals for COVID-19 patients, but it seems it hasn't quite decided whom to let in. The 32-year-old wife of a COVID-19 positive patient from Dharavi has been running from pillar to post to get him to a hospital. The 35-year-old who requires dialysis, tested positive on May 1 but BMC officials allegedly advised her to quarantine him at home, as he is asymptomatic.

When she pointed out that they stay in a 180 sq ft house with senior citizen parents, they allegedly did not pay much heed. While the BMC maintains that asymptomatic patients are not hospitalised, the patient has become a potential threat not just to his family but to the whole SRA building with 91 flats, where they stay.

Neighbours and relatives of a COVID-19 positive person admitted to Sion Hospital being stamped. Pic/Suresh Karkera

"I repeatedly called the COVID-19 Helpline. They asked my husband's age and his other illnesses. But when they came to know he is asymptomatic, they told me to quarantine him at home. I told them we live in a 180 sq feet home with senior citizen parents, but they didn't pay attention," said the wife of the patient.

The patient needs to get dialysis done every three days from last year. "I don't know why they are doing this. Last week a patient was found in our building, and he also required dialysis. They took him to a hospital, but are refusing to take me. I am worried about my father and mother, who are senior citizens. In a house like this, how can we maintain physical distance?" the patient said.

"Home quarantine is not possible for him. The authorities should look into this matter and provide assistance. The family is also financially weak. The father of the patient, a former Indian Navy personnel, runs the house. Now they have approached the Mumbai police for help," said a family friend of the patient.

"Asymptomatic COVID-19 positive patients are not required to be admitted in a hospital. I don't have the details of this patient, but I will ask officials to inquire and we can also arrange for dialysis for him at JJ Hospital," said Assistant Municipal Commissioner G/North Ward Kiran Dighavkar. A BMC official said if the patient's conditions worsens, he will be admitted.

180
The area (in sq feet) of the house the man stays in with his wife and aged parents

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The civic body is bracing for the Centre's projection of a high number of COVID-19 cases in the coming days and to ensure full preparedness, it has beefed up work on new facilities to treat patients and has started recruiting additional medical staff to run these centres.

Senior BMC officials said that a major recruitment drive is underway to hire over 3,000 doctors, nurses and ward boys on a contractual basis. BMC is planning to rope in medical staff from the city and the green zones across the state. A senior civic official said a circular has been sent out to deans of medical colleges and ward officials for the recruitment.

Civic officials said they are preparing for around 70,000 COVID-19 cases over the next two weeks. "We will hire doctors who are part of the Indian Medical Association as well as interns, post graduate students from private medical colleges for the COVID Care Centres (CCC). Since the centres are meant for asymptomatic patients, there is no need for specialised medical equipment and can be run by a basic medical staff," the senior BMC official said. He added that the doctors, nurses and ward boys will be hired for a period of three months.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani, however, said there will be some restrictions for doctors. We will only allow specialists who aged below 55 years as a precautionary measure, he said, adding, "The new recruits will work in three shifts."

The BMC is setting up CCCs for asymptomatic patients in various schools and colleges. Besides, city's largest centre, with a capacity of 1,000 beds, is coming up at the MMRDA grounds at BKC. "The work is underway and we are trying to complete it by next week. The centre will have beds and oxygen supply, but no ventilators," said an MMRDA official, adding that Jupiter Hospital in Thane is helping with designing the centre.

It will also have a laboratory that will be the primary testing centre for complete blood count and haematology. The MMRDA official said they will bear the cost of construction while the BMC will provide the staff and other support to run the facility.

The decision on who will run the facility is yet to be taken, said a civic official, adding, "The state government may ask a medical college to handle it."

3
Total no. of months the doctors, nurses and ward boys will be hired for

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In view of the financial hit the state is likely to take owing to the pandemic, the state government has taken several austerity measures.

New schemes, construction, purchases by the state have been barred while new jobs will not be created. Employees will not be transferred and promoted this financial year.

A resolution issued by the chief secretary on Monday said that the current schemes will have to run on 33 per cent grant instead of 100 per cent. Health, medical education, relief and rehabilitation, food and civil supplies departments will get priority in state funding.

'Review schemes'
The departments have been asked to review current schemes and work on them with a limited budget.

However, there will be no cut in essential spendings like salaries and pension payments.

Pending bills to be paid
Buying gizmos, furniture and hiring offices have not been allowed. The expenses on event management have been curtailed. The pending bills will be paid using whatever the finances are available.

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A fire was reported on the sixth floor of Atlas building in Napean Sea Road, on Tuesday morning. While no casualties were reported, two women were rescued from the building, a fire official said.

The fire was reported in the 11-storey residential building at 4:41 am on Tuesday and the fire brigade arrived at the scene at 4:55 am. As the intensity of the fire increased it was reported as a Level 2 fire. It gutted its two bedrooms, electric wiring and installations, wooden beds, bedding, furniture, and clothing, the official said.

The fire was brought under control within four hours, at 8.40 am, with the help of eight fire engines. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, the official added.

(with PTI inputs)

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With the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak prompting governments to impose lockdowns in different parts of the world, officials have been coming up with creative ways to spread awareness and make people stay at home. From cops dressed as Yamraj, the god of death, to some cops wearing helmets with spikes that resemble that of the virus, the internet has seen it all.

Now, a lawyer dressed as the omen of death, ‘Grim Reaper’ has taken it upon himself to make sure people of Florida maintain social distance. Daniel Uhlfelder has been dressing up as the Grim Reaper and taking strolls of the Florida beach, that has been opened to public to ensure people maintain the advised distance from each other, that has also make netizens sit up and take notice of him.

Wearing a black ragged robe, a mask and carrying a long-handled scythe, Uhlfelder has posted photos of himself advising people not only to maintain social distance but also stay at home till the situation improves.

Stay home Florida pic.twitter.com/MV4fyAXvwu

— Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) May 1, 2020

Busy day pic.twitter.com/uBmjaHmp2r

— Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) May 1, 2020

Uhlfelder also announced on his Twitter account that he will be touring the beaches of Florida from May 1 to spread awareness about importance of social distancing, wearing the garb of the Grim Reaper. He has also sharing his experiences, especially his frequent run-ins with the police, while on tour.

Someone called the cops on my Grim Reaper tour pic.twitter.com/wTP1pPymm2

— Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) May 4, 2020

His pictures donning the scary garb has garnered more than 13,000 likes on Twitter. The Twitterati has been showering him with praises and support in the comments.

pic.twitter.com/YFkuhCqVZI

— Adrian Steel🕵🏻ðŸÂŒ (@montana_steel) May 3, 2020

My family and I fully support you while we continue staying at home.

— Kenneth Sikora (@KennethSikora) May 1, 2020

pic.twitter.com/5gzfQDYJEP

— Laura Apollo (@lauraapollo) May 1, 2020

What do you think about the posts?

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Spotting a tiger during a walk is not an encounter you would wish to experience. With stories of wild animals being spotted in unusual places during the lockdown, seeing a tiger on the loose is the last thing you want and which might lead to chaos! This is exactly what happened when few people in countryside Kent in England called the police for help saying that they had spotted a tiger in the neighbourhood.

Armed policemen and a helicopter arrived at the scene to locate the tiger but to their surprise, they found that it was just a sculpture that looked like a real tiger!

Picture/Martha Simpson-Twitter

The incident was narrated by Twitter user Martha Simpson. She said that the tiger sculpture that armed cops with a helicopter came to hunt for, was made by her grandmother. She also shared the pictures of the incident in which the police officers were investigating the sculpture.

My Granny is a sculptress. Today 10 armed police and a helicopter were called to her house after walkers reported a tiger in the woods. This is the tiger. pic.twitter.com/Kn21npZPiS

— Martha (@marthasimpson__) May 2, 2020

Simpson was quoted by the Guardian as saying that her 85-year-old grandmother Juliet built the sculpture using chicken wires and resin 20 years ago. She said that her son called her on her phone to tell her about the armed police coming at her doorstep with their helicopters. "Ten of them! By then I could see the helicopter above, and I thought, goodness me. So then I walked up the road and saw the police Land Rover. I went up and said: 'Do you want to be introduced to this tiger?'" she was quoted by the Guardian.

Simpson went on to say that tiger’s sculpture never bothered anyone before this incident apart from dogs, adding that the police left after looking into the matter and establishing that the sculpture did not pose any risk to the public.

But the sculpture that created a buzz attracted some attention from netizens.

Congratulations to sculptor granny. 😹 Whether granny wants to still sell the work or still keep it as landmark. Legendary!

— Imcha Imchen (@im_chat_sung) May 3, 2020

It's the tiger that came to tea! He's gorgeous!

— Hazel Preller (@pierkisser) May 3, 2020

Did it put smile on the police's face? Hope so.

— kharis (shig_ðŸ¦Â‹) (@kharis_kun8) May 3, 2020

Tiger Queen as a sequel to Tiger King?

— Mitch Cohen (@MitchCohen12) May 3, 2020

A person, who has visited the spot calls it a 'great scuplture' and said that  he visits the spot regularly for walks with his dogs.

Hilarious. Walk here with the dogs regularly. My kids love the swing very kindly left there. Great sculpture! pic.twitter.com/F3sHeTpYYk

— Phil (@PhilipRJSmith) May 3, 2020

What do you think about the post?

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With the increasing number of COVID-19 patients in the city, the total number of containment zones have crossed the 2,000 mark. Of these, 1,235 are in congested areas.

The Central and the state governments have ordered restarting some activities in the red zones across the country. As on May 4, the number of sealed areas in the city reached 2,083. Sixty per cent of the Containment Zones (CZ) are in congested areas like chawls and slum. Around 600 containment zones are in densely populated areas and require 24-hour police surveillance.

"While the exact number of people living in these containment areas cannot be calculated, around 400 to 500 people live in every CZ," said a senior civic officer, adding that CZs restrict the spread of COVID.

Till April 23, the number of CZs were 983 with 231 zones released after 14 days. The number of CZs increased two-fold in the past 11 days.

Shifting to CCCs
The BMC has now begun to shift mild-symptomatic and asymptomatic patients to Corona Care Centres II (CCC). The civic body has started these centres across the city with a total capacity of 17,651 beds. As of now, 1778 positive patients are taking treatment in these centres. The NSCI club in Worli with a capacity of 500 people, has 279 positive persons. Byculla which comes under the E-ward has 210 positive persons in CCC II. F-North (Wadala) has 210, G-North (Dharavi, Dadar) has 207, H-East (Bandra) has 124, K-West (Jogeshwari, Andheri West) has 194 and L-Ward (Kurla, Chembur) has 118 patients in the facility.

In institutional quarantine, the civic body managed to increase the capacity of CCCI to 20,462 beds. There are 7,771 high-risk contacts of positive patients staying in these centres.

There are around 10 lakh people living in containment zones in the city right now.

10 lakh
No. of people in containment zones in the city

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Ola Cabs began operations in 12 cities across Maharashtra, which are in green and orange zones from Monday. "Ola has resumed operations in over 100 cities across the country, adhering to the government guidelines. With the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) easing restrictions in select zones across the country, Ola will ensure safety during all rides," a note from the company said.

Anand Subramanian, Ola spokesperson and head of communications said, "As we reopen our platform to millions of citizens and driver-partners whose livelihoods are dependent on this, the safety of both continues to be the priority. The fight against COVID-19 is a collective effort and will be possible with both our driver-partners and customers doing their bit to ensure that everyone has access to safe and high-quality mobility."

List of 12 cities in Maharashtra
Alibaug, Ahmednagar, Shirdi, Latur, Kolhapur, Nanded, Sangli, Wardha, Amravati, Chandrapur, Gondia, Jalna.

100
Total no. of cities Ola resumed their services across India

Five-step safety

For driver-partners:
1. No travel in red zones: Vehicles will not operate to and from red or containment zones.
2. Selfie-authentication of drivers: All driver-partners are required to wear masks and need to authenticate this before the start of every ride by sharing a selfie through their partner app.
3. Equipped with hygiene kits: Driver-partners will be provided with masks, sanitisers and disinfectants.
4. Cars to be cleaned regularly: Common surfaces like handles, seats to be cleaned before every ride.
5. Flexible cancellations: Drivers and customers may cancel a ride if the other is not wearing a mask.

For riders:
1. Mandatory masks: Customers must wear masks and sanitise before and after the ride.
2. Non-AC rides: To avoid re-circulation of air, the AC will be switched off and windows will be kept open.
3. Two passengers per car: Only two passengers will be allowed in the cab and they will be urged to sit by the windows.
4. Load and unload luggage themselves: To maintain social distancing, customers are urged to load and unload luggage themselves.
5. Cashless payments: Customers are encouraged to make cashless payments to avoid contact.

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Zyada se zyada kya hoga? Mar hi jaunga na chalte chalte? (What's the worse that could happen? I'll die, right?) These disturbing words of a physically challenged migrant walking home to UP from Thane sum up the mood of hundreds like him trudging home. With no clarity from the government, the migrants continue to risk their lives on highways.

Hundreds of the migrant workers continue to walk to Uttar Pradesh and even Nagpur. As it is difficult to walk in the scorching heat, most rest during the day and walk at nights on highways. They poured their hearts out to mid-day.

A majority of the migrants work as labourers on at under-construction sites in MMR. They said they were leaving Mumbai as they had no access to food and essential items at their workplaces. At least 1,000 men, women and children were seen walking along the Mumbai-Agra highway between the Thane-Kalyan junctions.

Most of the migrants will walk over 1,600 km to UP. Pic/Ranjeet Jadhav

'Procedure not explained'
Some people expressed anger against the state and Central governments, alleging they were not taking the plight of migrants seriously, and this was happening because the authorities on the local level weren't cooperative. They alleged that local authorities were not explaining relevant procedures. Many have filled forms, taken medical certificates and got these and other papers stamped by the police to board the transport provided but say they are not being clearly told what is next.

Kisan Pawar who is heading back to his village near Nagpur with his wife, daughter and son, said they barely have any money left. "Staying in Thane with no job or money will be more burdening. So we started on the 800-km-long journey on foot," said Pawar. At night they rested at Kalyan phata for few hours. Most migrants have been resting or sleeping on the side of the highway.

Rajesh Pawar, 28, a resident of Gondia district in Maharashtra worked as a labourer at a construction site in Thane. Since work stopped and he has no money left, he and his wife have started walking with their two-year-old daughter. An emotional Rajesh said, "I pray that such difficult times don't befall anyone. No one really cares about the poor and that's why we have no other option but to walk. We don't even have money to buy tickets and food. We hope to reach our village because the safety of my daughter is very important."

'I would have died anyway'
A man with a deformed foot who did not wish to be named, will be walking over 1,600 km to reach his village in UP. "Aise bhi mar jaate kyon ki khaane ke liye kuch nahi hai. Us se behtar hai jahan tak chal saku wahan tak jaun, is umeed se ke ghar pohochunga. Jyada se jyada kya hoga? Mar hi jaunga na chalte chalte? (I would have died anyway because I wasn't getting any food. It's better that I walk as far as I can in the hope that I will reach home. What's the worst that could happen? I'll die, right?)," he said.

Suhel Ahmed and Irshad Khan who worked at a construction site in Thane, had approached local authorities to know about the procedure to go back home. But they claimed they weren't given clarity about when they would be allowed to go back, so they left for Uttar Pradesh on foot.

'No co-ordination'
Irshad Khan told mid-day, "We waited in Thane all this time because the government had told us it would make arrangements at the right time for migrants to go home. But there seems to be lack of coordination between the Centre and state. For the past two days, we ran from pillar to post getting medical certificates and filling forms but there was no clarity on what next. We have a few hundred rupees and before that too gets over, we want to reach home. God knows when we will reach."

The chairperson of an NGO says the government must instill confidence in migrants. Jalpesh Mehta, chairperson, Empower Foundation, said, "Walking on the highway for kilometres is a risky affair and may also see migrants die due to hunger or exertion and not because of COVID-19. We have worked with government authorities and police in Maharashtra and Gujarat to provide food to the migrants and the support on the ground from authorities has been excellent. The living conditions of the migrants and support from their employers is indeed very poor, but the need of the hour is instillation of confidence in the migrants by the government on the ground that they will be taken care of and there are planned exits — trains and buses to help them reach back home safely."

1,000
No. of people seen walking along Mumbai-Agra highway

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Thousands of migrant daily wagers working in the power looms of Thane district, thronged the State Transport Bus depot at Bhiwandi on Tuesday, after learning that they would have to register with the police there in order to board trains headed for their hometowns. But in their focus and desperation to finally head home, they threw caution to the wind and did not follow social distancing.

Mid-day witnessed the chaotic scene and spoke to the workers desperate to go back to their home towns in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

The migrants stood in a long winding queue at the bus depot. Pics/Hanif Patel

The ST bus depot was packed with the workers who started thronging the ST Bus depot at 3 am and it was crowded by 7 am. "We were told that forms are being filled up at the ST Bus Depot. So we came to get registered," said Jiaullah Ansari, a native of Bihar.

'No social distancing'
"We are starving and have no work after the lockdown, as all the power looms are shut. The owners of power looms have switched off their cellphones and some have blocked our numbers. Jab khane ko ek dana nahi ho na sahab, to social distancing aur Coronavirus sab fake lagta hai (When there's nothing to eat, Sir, social distancing and Coronavirus seem fake)," said Nasirullah Ansari, a native of Patna.

Some of the power loom workers tried to shield themselves from the sun

The police were seen trying to coax the migrant workers to maintain social distancing. Around 9:30 am a team attached to Nizampura police station and traffic police headed by Senior Inspector Rajendra Mayne of Bhiwandi Traffic dispersed the crowd.

The workers complained that no authority explained to them the registration process. "We have been standing since 3 am and its 10 am now but no one has told us when the registration will be done," said Ram Narayan Thakur, a native of Bihar.

The cops said the workers will have to give their name, mobile number, Aadhaar card copy and they will get an SMS alert or a call by the Talathi office to tell them the date of their journey.

'What about us?'
mid-day also met workers who are from Nepal. "Since I am from Nepal, I don't have an Aadhaar card. How will I travel to my native place? No one has the answer to my question," said Indradev, another worker.

His friend Ram Narayan Pal, also a native of Nepal said, I don't know if I will be able to see my family members."

The police, however, said the situation was in control. "We are facing challenges but everything is under control." said Rajkumar Shinde, DCP Bhiwandi.

"In Bhiwandi we have one of the largest populations of migrant workers, whose livelihood is dependent on power looms. Since they are shut the workers have been finding it very difficult to survive and now as some trains are moving to their native places, they are coming out in large numbers to leave the city as early possible," said another police officer.

3,000
No. of power loom workers who gathered at the ST bus depot

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A Mulund railway yard master, who retired from his 35-year-old job recently, was so busy in the last working month of his career, that he ended up staying at the rail terminus for a month, to handle despatching essential commodity trains, giving priority to supplies for citizens over his family.

Vilas V Pagare, 60, who retired on April 30, joined the railways around 1984 and had been posted at Central Railway in various designations. His earlier posting was at Vasind station. He retired as Chief Yard Master at Mulund Container Terminal. "The lockdown has been the most challenging time of my career. It was supposed to be my retirement month, but as the lockdown came into effect, more and more trains with essentials needed to be despatched. I decided to stay at the Mulund Container Terminal from March 23 the day the lockdown of the railways was announced, to April 22 to handle the growing number of freight trains and loading and unloading at the terminal," a proud Pagare told mid-day.

His family comprises two grown up sons and his wife. "The railways have given me everything and this was the least I could give back not just to the railways, but to society," he said, of prioritising work over family. During this time, he handled 40 trains, their deformation, loading and unloading and re-formation.

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The Maharashtra government collected more than Rs 62 crore revenue in two days of liquor sale after relaxations in COVID-19 lockdown were announced, said a senior official on Tuesday. The amount was collected by the excise department by Tuesday night with just one third of the total number of liquor shops in the state remaining open, he said. An estimated 16.10 lakh litres of bottled IMFL, beer, wines and country liquor were sold, he said.

The state has over 10,000 licensed shops that sell country liquor, IMFL, wine and beer of which merely 3,500 operated on Monday and Tuesday, he said. The long queues of tipplers outside liquor outlets led to the excise department recording an estimated revenue of Rs 62.55 crore by Tuesday night, he said. Of this, Rs 11 crore was collected on Monday, the day one of liquor sale, the official said. Following relaxations in lockdown norms, long queues of tipplers were seen outside standalone liquor shops on Monday in various parts of Maharashtra though authorities in some districts decided not to permit alcohol sale.

All liquor shops were closed ever since a national lockdown was imposed across the country on March 25 to halt the spread of coronavirus. The lockdown was extended till May 17, but standalone liquor shops were permitted to operate as part of relaxations by the state government. There are 10,822 license holders in the state of which 3,543 opened for business. The long queues outside every shop have now reflected in states coffers with the sale of an estimated 16.10 lakh litres of bottled IMFL, beer, wines and country liquor.

"The estimated earnings from the sale stood at Rs 62.55 crore, said Kantilal Umap, state excise commissioner. There are 17 districts (out of total 36) in Maharashtra where liquor shops remained open. Collectors in nine districts have decided not to permit opening of liquor shops to avoid the spread of the coronavirus infection. Two districts - Osmanabad and Latur - had opened shops but due to crowding, the authorities immediately ordered their closure.

There are five other districts where liquor shops were not opened but the authorities are working out a plan to allow them to operate in the coming days. Maharashtra has three dry districts - Wardha, Gadchiroli and Chandrapur.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday decided to ply about 10,000 buses to ferry stranded people from one district to another within the state amidst the ongoing coronavirus-induced lockdown. "After the announcement of lockdown was made (on March 24), several people got stuck at distant locations from their homes. The government has now decided to ply 10,000 buses of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) for free to drop them to their native places," State Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar said.

He said various procedural details and standard operating procedure will be put out in the next couple of days. The government had announced some relaxations during the third phase of the lockdown, which will remain in force till May 17.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

At a time alcohol sales have been barred in Mumbai, its sales in 18 districts of Maharashtra on Wednesday yielded Rs 43.75 crore. A few buyers claimed the token system introduced to reduce crowds helped them get their tipple faster.

After seeing the crowds in Mumbai that gathered to buy their favourite drink without caring about social distancing, the State Excise Department had released a new set of guidelines for all liquor shops, which included a form that customers would have to fill in with their personal details and take a token. The excise department said not more than 50 tokens can be issued per hour. Assuming there will be 50 customers per hour, a wine shop can supply a maximum of 400 customers per day. If more customers come, they will be issued tokens for the next day.

All alcohol vendors have been asked to sell liquor only through this token system. mid-day spoke to a few buyers outside the BMC limits about their experience.Some of them said the system helped as they did not have to stand in queues for a long time.

Was asked to wait till 11 am
Suresh Jadhav from Thane, who bought liquor from J K Wine Shop on Bhiwandi-Kalyan Road, said he was asked to take a token. It was number 72 and he was asked to come at 11 am. Jadhav said, "When I reached the store at the given time, there was not much crowd. Due to the token, I did not have to stand in line for long."

Munna Pandey, another Thane resident, who went to the same shop, said he took a token and was asked to come at 1 pm. "When I reached the shop at 1 pm, there were 15 to 17 people standing in front of me. I wrote my name, the name of the brand and my mobile number in the form. I took a total of 4 bottles. It took me about half an hour to get my liquor," Pandey said.

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Around 50 students from hostels run by the Social Welfare Department in Mumbai's Worli area have requested the state government to let them go home amid the lockdown.

While the department has ensured that these students are provided with food, a majority of them hail from rural Maharashtra and are scared due to the increasing number of COVID-19 patients in Mumbai — particularly in Worli.

There are three Social Welfare Department-run hostels in Worli's BDD Chawls — building number 116 and 118. While the hostel in building 118 is a boy's hostel, building number 116 has both boys and girls.

Ashok Bansode, resident student

Ashok Bansode, an engineering student who hails from Akkalkot in Solapur said, "Initially, we were getting proper food. But as the cases kept rising in Worli area, restrictions came in place and now we are just being served dal and rice every day. We are also wondering whether or not the department will take responsibility for us."

The hostel management asked the students to get their medical check-ups done before seeking permission to travel home. But considering their financial conditions, nobody has money to arrange for private transportation.

"The way arrangements were done for students in Kota, we should also be given such help. We cannot arrange for our own transportation," Bansode added.

Suraj Kamble, another resident student said, "We should be taken home directly where we can remain in home quarantine. But if we are sent to any institutional quarantine or told to travel through railways, that can put us in danger of contracting the virus. All the Kota students are in home quarantine currently,"

Sachin Bansode, member of Chhatrabharati — a students' organisation which is helping these stranded students to go back home — said, "These students too have the right to go back home. Many of them are from rural parts of Maharashtra and don't have funds to head home on their own. We are in the process of understanding how they can be helped without compromising on safety."

Three
Total no. of Social Welfare Department hostels in BDD chawl

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Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) secretary Sanjay Naik and three more members were booked by Bandra police for obstructing burial of a COVID-19 dead body in Muslim Kabaristan. The incident occurred on Tuesday when a dead body of a COVID-19 patient was taken to Naupada Kokani Kabarastan by Raza Academy members for burial. Naik claimed that he objected to the burial as members who had come with the dead body didn't have proper documents.

A few weeks ago, residents near Naupada Kokani Kabarastan objected burial of dead bodies who were COVID-19 patients. The matter went to Bombay High court which rejected the petition of the residents. The matter went to Supreme Court which redirected matter to High court and reportedly allowed burial in between.

The controversy upscaled on the night of May 5 when a 45-year-old died of Coronavirus in Jaslok Hospital. Raza Academy members who had been appointed to carry out the burial rushed to Naupada Kokani Kabaristan. "When we reached Kabaristan, we found that the BMC officials mentioned a Kabarastan of Bandra East, so the permission was changed to Bandra West in Konkani Kabarastan," said Sabir Nirban, member of Raza Academy. "But while burial was going on, Sanjay Naik came with some men opposing it", he said.

Sheikh Izaz Shamshuddin, resident of Bandra registered a complaint against Sanjay Naik, Muzaffar Zarif Khan, Yunus Muzaffar Khan, and Akbar Zarif Khan. 

"We tried to have a word with the men but they weren't listening. They told us about the court orders but we told them that orders are in favour of burial in this particular kabarastan, but they didn't listen to us. Cops came to spot and we finally decided to register a complaint at the Police station," said Shamshuddin.

Bandra police took cognizance of the matter and filed the offence under IPC section 341 (wrongful restraint), 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 34 (Common intention) and relevant sections of Epidemic Act 1897. 

Talking about the incident, Sanjay Naik said, "The people who had come with the dead body didn't have any proper permission. They buried the dead body even before we objected, some ran away when we came, it was all fishy. There were many people around hence we didn't create any ruckus." When asked about the offence, he said, "I am not aware of the offence, I wonder what offence they have registered against me". 

Nirban, one of the members of the task force formed by the government has requested the Police Commissioner to take stringent action against such trouble makers and make a precedent for others who cause undue hardships to people working for the society. "Special attention must be given for their protection to overcome this task. These dedicated workers are risking their lives for the society and we must pray for their health and support them morally in this noble cause," Nirban said. 

Swapna Mhatre, local corporator said, "There was some issue with permission of burial but it was resolved later. There is a sense of fear among residents as the burial ground is in the residential zone. I would suggest authorities to choose grounds which are away from residential zones."

DCP (Zone 9) Abhishek Trimukhe confirmed the registration of offence, "The offence has been registered and the investigation is on," he said. 

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'Goodfather' is one of the biggest Hollywood cult classic of all times. The dialogues in the film are so popular that even Mumbai Police, being themselves, played around with words and used it in their latest post on Instagram, to share the importance of wearing masks.

In the post, the police department shared a meme with a still from the film and played around with its famous line, "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse' to 'I'm gonna offer him a mask he can't refuse.' In the captions, the police wrote, "Your enemy 'corona' always gets strong on 'the mask' you leave behind," with a striking hashtag #GodfathersOfSafety.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mumbai Police (@mumbaipolice) onMay 5, 2020 at 9:05pm PDT

The post, shared on Wednesday garnered 16,459 likes so far. One of the users who double tapped on the post was Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, who seemed impressed by the creativity of the police department, just like the users who commenting on the post.

A user said, "Suddenly i can't remember what the original line was. Mumbai Police tum bohot acha kaam karta hai." Another user said, "Mumbai Police are now best police in the world... In making memes too!" One more user said, "These guys keep getting better day by day!!"

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Taking advantage of the Coronavirus pandemic, a number of persons are chopping trees at will in Aarey Milk Colony.

An environmentalist has written a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray red-flagging the goings-on inside the green cover in the city's suburbs.

He stated in a letter speaking for many green activists who have and continue to fight the long Save Aarey battle, that at least 30 trees are being cut inside the forest every day. Some people, taking advantage of the tough times, where resources like police and civic workers have to be deployed elsewhere while numbers climb in the Coronavirus fight, are wreaking wanton destruction inside Aarey.

There are attempts to illegally encroach this precious landmass, building hutments inside.

We need to see quick investigation and action in this matter. Especially as the clock is ticking and every single day means more denudation at Aarey.

One also has to remember that when activists and citizens were fighting pitched battles against the Metro Car Shed at Aarey, it was the Shiv Sena on a battering course against the BJP, shouting that they will save Aarey and that they will not allow trees to be cut.

In a high stakes political game, the Thackerays had posited themselves as the saviours of this green emerald of the suburbs, taking on the Devendra Fadnavis dispensation that was going ahead with the project.

We hope the state government gets into battle mode to save this zone. After all, to be a great green warrior for Aarey means to seek a very quick inquiry and then respond to any and all threats to the space you profess to save, not just for political points but because you believe in the cause and in the welfare of the city.

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