Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday called for setting up local “corona vigilance committees” to combat and check the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. There have to be citizens-led vigilance groups, he said while reviewing the pandemic situation of Thane district.

Municipal commissioners must involve the citizens of their respective cities and towns along with local NGOs and also check the health of high-risk persons like senior citizens, their chronic ailments, oxygen levels, hygiene, whether they wear masks and take other precautions regularly. It will then be easier to control the pandemic, he said.

According to Thackeray, the battle against corona cannot be fought alone and must involve citizens and NGOs. He said it is essential to know whether anyone in a neighbourhood is running a fever.

Thackeray’s recommendation came during a video-conference with the Municipal Commissioners of civic bodies of Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivali, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Ulhasnagar and Mira-Bhayander.

The growing incidence of coronavirus in Thane district is worrying, the CM said. He also pointed out that with almost four months’ experience in tackling corona, everybody has acquired enough knowledge on the dos and don’ts about the pandemic.

‘Mission mode’

The malaria and dengue spread in 2010 is a great example of how the residents of slums and other Mumbai citizens joined hands in spraying disinfectants in public areas to control the diseases, he said, and called for a similar “mission mode” to combat Covid-19.

Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar and CM’s Principal Advisor Ajoy Mehta directed the Municipal Commissioners to crack the whip and take stringent steps to prevent the further spread of coronavirus in the district; Konkan Divisional Commissioner Lokesh Chandra also made certain important suggestions for the region.

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