Attention Noida Authority

A few days ago I sent a mail to the Chief Executive Officer Noida highlighting the need to take steps to sanitize all gated colonies in the township. Prevention is better than cure is often the dictum among medical circles. With the rapid spread of the virus across Noida the Authority would have done well to undertake the sanitization exercise on its own.

This need has increased now that Noida has been identified as one of the ten hotspots for the virus, according to a report in today’s Indian Express. The Chief Minister undertook an ariel survey of the township to see for himself the work of those in charge. I am not sure what he saw and understood but what he understood seems to have angered him forcing him to transfer a senior officer.

It is a pity that those in authority do not have the capacity to think out of the box. A majority of the population in Noida is paying attention to the lockdown rules. Even children in many colonies are observing the rules very diligently. The authorities have a responsibility towards the well being of its population. It is not enough that they ensure that the curfew regulations are followed. They have a responsibility to ensure that the population live in a safe environment. It needs to be remembered that a substantial number of people in the township are senior citizens who have been identified as most likely to be affected by the virus

Over the years the Authority undertook flogging activities to prevent the breeding and spread of insects and mosquitoes. This needs to be restarted since summer is setting in and the possibilities of increased mosquito menace would begin. The only thing necessary is that the flogging should be done more diligently ensuring that the entire colony is treated properly.

Will the Authority wake up ?

Govt zeroes in on 10 hotspots
As the number of COVID-19 cases reached 1,251 across the country (101 recovered, 32 dead), India is set to ramp up testing in 10 identified “hotspots” where “unusual” transmission has been detected. Of these, two — Dilshad Garden and Nizamuddin — are in Delhi, the others being Noida, Meerut, Bhilwara, Ahmedabad, Kasaragod, Pathanamthitta, Mumbai and Pune. In the last 24 hours, 227 cases and five deaths have been reported. Nizamuddin in Delhi has emerged as a hotspot after a religious meeting there was attended by people with travel history to Indonesia and Malaysia. The Dilshad Garden index patient had returned from Saudi Arabia, passed on the virus to a doctor, who in turn saw over 1,000 patients at a mohalla clinic before being diagnosed. (Indian Express) more