Pune Municipal Corporation orders to turn govt schools into temporary shelters for slum-dwellers

With the aim to ensure that social distancing norms are followed, the Pune Municipal Corporation passed an order to make government schools in the city available as temporary shelters for residents of slum areas.

According to the order issued on April 24, "Since there are more than 5 members in the families of people in slum area it is difficult for them to maintain social distance, hence, this facility is being made available for them."

'However, people moving to these shelter homes will have to carry their belonging and food since they will have to manage food by themselves... The school authorities are requested to make available drinking water, electricity, washroom, etc facilities available for them," the order, roughly translated in English from Marathi, added.

70 government schools will be made available as temporary shelters for the benefit of the slum dwellers, through this order.

Maharashtra, with over 6,817 confirmed COVID-19 cases, is the worst-affected by the infection. Although 957 people have been cured and discharged after getting treated for COVID-19, the infection has claimed 301 lives in the state till Saturday, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

( With inputs from ANI )