New Delhi: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday (March 31) decided to take possession of vacant buildings, marriage halls, vacant hotels, lodges, vacant hostels, colleges, Dharamshala, gyms, clubs, and exhibition centers to use them for quarantine purpose in view of the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak.


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According to an order issued by BMC Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi, these places will be used to quarantine those people who have in contact with coronavirus COVID-19 positive people. Pardeshi, however, said that the people who would be kept at these places are merely COVID-19 suspects as they came in contact with corona positive people. 


The BMC will arrange food and basic facilities for people living in quarantine, adding that these places would be given reasonable rent for using these buildings.



On Monday, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai had issued a circular for disposal of dead bodies of coronavirus COVID-19 but later withdrew it following the intervention of Maharashtra Minority Development Minister Nawab Malik.


The BMC order said, "Burial will not be allowed. The funeral should not involve more than 5 people." Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi had said, "All the dead bodies of COVID-19 patients should be cremated at the nearest crematorium irrespective of religion. The rituals involving touching the body should be avoided."


"All the COVID-19 dead bodies should be cremated to avoid transmission changes in the community. Burial should not be allowed," the circular said, adding that the hospital authority should inform the local police station and then hand over the body after confirmation.


"If someone insists to bury a dead body, he will be permitted only if the dead body is taken out of Mumbai city's jurisdiction in a burial ground and transport and other arrangements are made by the concerned on their own following all the guidelines and precautions as given for disposal of dead bodies of COVID-19," the circular had stated.


The BMC has also started GIS mapping of coronavirus affected areas in the city and set up a 'war room' to monitor the viral infection in the city and take steps to prevent its spread further.


The maps of the areas where there is a higher number of coronavirus cases will be posted on the civic body's website to provide information about it to the public, BMC commissioner Praveen Pardeshi said in a release.


With the help of the maps, residents in those areas could take precautions more vigilantly, and people visiting those places for any work could easily take preventive measures, he said.


Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has sent two senior IAS officers - Ashwini Bhide and Dr. Ramaswamy N - on deputation to the BMC to take steps to contain the spread of the deadly disease in the country's financial capital, the civic body said.


The BMC has also formed a 'corona war room' in its disaster control unit which will be functional round-the-clock and various activities like planning, prevention, and management of the pandemic will be conducted there.