Coronavirus Pandemic — The Curious Case of Dharavi
Dharavi, Mumbai, is among the largest slums in the world and the shooting location of the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Recently, the slum area has confirmed its first mortality due to the novel COVID-19. Dharavi’s population density is about 280, 000 m2, as such, practicing social distancing in the area is quite impossible. This has set forth a huge challenge that India is already witnessing community transmission, which the government keeps on denying.
Let’s Take A Deeper Dive
Prominent Indian doctors are warning that the country must brace itself for a likely onslaught of caseloads that could overwhelm the healthcare system to scales far beyond what the US and Europe are witnessing.
A man aging 56 years died due to COVID-19-associated disease in Dharavi slum in Mumbai — the financial capital of India — on April 2. The patient, with no travel history, perished after testing positive for coronavirus while being relocated to a local medical center. Some of the family members of the deceased have been examined and put under home isolation, following which the deceased’s closely packed neighborhood that houses 300 homes and 90 shops has been sealed off to avoid a further outbreak.
Sheltering nearly a million people, Dharavi’s population density is approx. 30x that of New York. Healthcare professionals suggest that the situation would go out of their hands if a coronavirus outbreak spreads swiftly across one of India’s slums, which faces the issues of poor sanitation, running water, and congested housing. Thus, maintaining social distancing in such areas is impossible both, physically and financially.
This is the 2nd mortality due to COVID-19 reported in Mumbai’s slums since the onset of the pandemic. A man aging 63 years who tested positive for the virus on March 31 was an occupant of the Malvani slum region and died later that evening. Administration in Mumbai is distinctly alerted regarding the probable transmission of coronavirus in this heavily populated slum that has, as of now, reported 3 confirmed cases, which includes a 52-year old municipal corporation worker and a 35-year old doctor. A community transmission in Dharavi, they figured out, would certainly disrupt Mumbai’s battle against COVID-19.
Existing Challenges Adding Fuel to the Fire
Definitely, that’s a clever move made by the coronavirus of targeting Dharavi. The area is mostly characterized by its filthy surroundings, implying it will be difficult for its dwellers to meet the criteria of hygiene required to keep the virus at bay. Even though there is no concrete information, many residents in the Dharavi slum area apparently thrive on below US$ 2 a day. Nearly a million people live within 1 square mile — approx. 3 square kilometers — making it the most heavily populated area, globally.
To further worsen the situation, the whole residential property misses on essential infrastructure including, public conveniences, roads, and toilets. With an average of 1 toilet for 500 persons, most slum dwellers leverage nearby river or alleys, despite the former being a source of Dharavi’s freshwater. Kids play in open sewers, while dead rats lie along the streets, and live ones move up and down. Daily handwashing with soap and water is an elusive dream in Dharavi.
Then comes the economic pullback. Almost all the families in Dharavi confront the issue of spending over 2 months sans wages due to countrywide lockdown and closure of private enterprises.
The government should have anticipated this situation. The slum region has acute public health issues, with a prolonged history of epidemics and other catastrophes. While India’s average life span is 67 years, the same in Dharavi is below 60. Apparently, every house has been established illegally and is extremely congested. About 5 individuals live in each small bedroom. And residents of Dharavi belong to all parts of India, not just Maharashtra.
Baburao Mane, Dharavi’s former state legislator, has opined that it is nearly clear that the incidents would surge in Dharavi because of overpopulation. He further adds that on average, there are about 10 people residing in thousands of 250 square feet huts. As summer knocks the door and the mercury levels rise, it would be nearly impossible to avoid home-isolated people from stepping out of their tight spaces.
