Kolkata: Patuli-Baghajatin in focus after case spurt

KOLKATA: Seventeen active cases in the past week from Baghajatin G block have led to the creation of three more containment zones in the Patuli-Baghajatin belt. The additions may have taken the total containment zones in this area to 12, but cops and KMC officials said they have already begun to witness “dramatic improvements on the ground”. Even as the rest of Patuli saw a rise in cases, areas in containment zones did not report any fresh case.
“The health officer and the area coordinator apprised the local OC of the situation on the ground. It was decided to introduce multiple containment zones — some of them spread over 300m-400m, unlike most other areas where single houses are being brought under containment,” said an officer.
In all, 12 people from the area have died after contracting novel coronavirus and 153 are active Covid patients. The worst affected are three blocks — I, B and D — in Baisnabghata-Patuli Township along with Baghajatin G Block and Baghajatin Place. Ward coordinators in the Baghajatin-Patuli belt have been struggling with the rising number of Covid cases. According to Bappaditya Dasgupta, coordinator of Ward 101, there were just 19 cases in his ward till the end of June. But by August 5, the number has risen to 263.
To tide over the crisis, the Trinamool ward coordinator has adopted a two-pronged strategy — one is to tighten the leash on a section of positive patients whose families are roaming freely in the neighbourhood and the other is to deliver medicines and other essentials to senior citizens who have tested positive and are in home quarantine. “Besides, I have been arranging tests for a large number of Covid suspects regularly,” Dasgupta said.
Arup Chakraborty, a ward coordinator who represents the Patuli area said, “Though I have 73 positive cases to deal with in large areas of Patuli, I still can’t stay disconnected from the city-wide spread of the deadly virus. The number of positive cases is steadily rising in our ward too.”
He said that instead of imposing restrictions on people, he was eager to spread awareness on the disease and stressed on augmentation of testing facilities.
Thirty-one buildings in Patuli and 39 in Baghajatin Place-Talpukur have been brought under containment zones. Another 15 buildings were added to the list on Tuesday. Cops have further split four high-risk zones in Baisnabghata-Patuli Township into eight pockets for quick response. “We want to focus block by block. But we did not want to trouble people in unaffected houses,” said an officer.
After I, B and D Blocks, with Covid cases also spreading towards Patuli’s E Block, cops believe smaller restriction zones will help arrest the virus. “Mukundapur is affected. If strict steps are not taken, newer areas will be affected. Earlier, we had to put in a lot of effort to control the spread in Panchasayar and Shahid Smriti Colony, which have apartments, houses and slums. We have now shut smaller arterial roads in I, B and D Blocks,” said an officer.