BMC warns of action for flouting norms amid rise in COVID-19 cases

In the light of a rise in COVID-19 cases, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has decidedto register offences against people who violate safetyguidelines, an official said on Thursday.

The civic body has intensified action against peoplefound without masks in public, and will take action againstfunction halls, gymnasiums and other establishments that don'tfollow safety norms, the official said.

It has decided to fine function halls, gymnasiums andrestaurants if the number of patrons/ attendees is found to bebeyond the permissible limit, Suresh Kakani, additionalmunicipal commissioner, told PTI.

These establishments will be prosecuted if theycontinue to flout the norms, he said.

The permissible limit of guests at function halls is50, while restaurants are allowed to operate with 50 per centoccupancy at any given time.

''We are going to ensure that there is no overcrowdingat restaurants, bars, function halls, public gardens,nightclubs and cinema halls,'' Kakani said.

In a meeting with ward officers and health departmentofficials, BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal ordereddeployment of additional marshals on suburban trains and alsodirected to ramp up testing, an official said.

The civic body has decided to resume stamping of thehands of people who are placed under home quarantine, and incase of violation, an offence will be registered against them.

Similar action will be taken against those who floutthe rules at weddings and other social gatherings in thecity and BMC teams will raid event venues, he said.

The civic body has also decided to double the numberof clean-up marshals, who can impose fine on those who do notwear mask in public, from 2,400 to 4,800.

At least 300 clean-up marshals will be deployed onsuburban trains.

Apart from this, the civic body said a seven-dayinstitutional quarantine is mandatory for travelers arrivingat Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport from Brazil,where a new strain of the virus has been found.

According to official data, the BMC has caught morethan 15 lakh people roaming in public without mask andcollected over Rs 30.69 crore in fine since April 1, 2020.

Buildings with more than five COVID-19 patients willbe sealed, the BMC has decided.

If an asymptomatic patient steps out of house or walksaround in a public space before home quarantine period isover, housing societies should inform Ward War Rooms, thecivic body said.

Officials at Ward War Rooms should take legal actionagainst such patients and put them under compulsoryinstitutional quarantine, it said.

''If it is found that masks are not being used and morethan 50 people are found gathered at the same time, then theconcerned persons will be fined. Establishments and managementwill also be prosecuted,'' the BMC release stated.

Chahal has directed officials to take punitive actionin at least 25,000 cases for violation of norms every dayagainst the current average of 12,500.

''Compared to June-July 2020, the spread of coronavirusin the city is still under control, but with the number ofcases on rise, the system needs to be vigilant,'' the municipalcommissioner said.

Teachers from BMC schools will be deployed at allbuildings, offices and hospitals managed by the civic bodywith powers to take punitive action against those roamingwithout masks.