Kashmir Magazine By : Kashmir Magazine | Srinagar, Publish Date: Friday, May 29, 2020 10:17:36 PM | Updated Date : Friday, May 29, 2020 10:17:36 PM
Amid the spike in COVID19 cases, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Saturday intensified fumigation drive in several localities of the summer capital Srinagar.
The decision to undertake intensified sterilization of localities was taken by SMC Commissioner Gazanfar Ali after holding meeting with officials and experts via virtual mode.
Beginning with Rangreth area, special teams of SMC equipped with modern tools used special chemicals to disinfect the locality and its adjacent areas.
The SMC pressed into service 14 mechanized decontamination vehicles and special teams for decontamination of Rangreth, said an official.
The teams carried on sterilization and fumigation of residential houses and commercial and non-commercial structures. Even vehicles parked in or outside residential and commercial structures were sprayed with the chemicals.
“The residents as well as offices situated in locality extended their cooperation,” said the Commissioner.
He said Corporation also used latest technology in working out the plan for decontamination of the area. “The SMC GIS team worked on mapping routes for carrying decontamination and sanitization drive. We are now monitoring these drives both on-site and off-site,” the Commissioner said.
SMC Secretary, Akbar Sofi said the process to disinfect public places, hospitals, quarantine homes, roads, streets and other places will continue on daily basis with special focus on the red zones.
“We choose Rangreth area in view of several positive cases reported from there. We used Quaternary Ammonium Chloride, a 5th generation chemical in disinfection process. When it comes to safeguarding lives of our people, we will not stay back,” he said.
He said teams have been asked to adhere to due standard procedure while carrying the process to disinfect the areas. “We adopt international SoPs to ensure we get success in what we are doing for people and at the same time the SMC staffers engaged in process does not get infected,” he said.
He said with the rise in COVID19 cases, the SMC has intensified its operations to ensure the coronavirus infection does not spread.
Around 18 localities have been declared red zones in Srinagar after several persons from these areas were tested positive for COVID19.
On 1 May this year, four districts including Srinagar were declared as COVID19 red zones in Jammu and Kashmir while 12 other districts were confirmed as orange zones and rest of the four as green zones.
The Centre has allowed the administration of states and Union Territories (UTs) to classify additional districts as red or orange zones. However, states and UTs are not allowed to lower the zone classification of a district.
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Best Wishes!!!
Zahid Maqbool