Maha govt to act against hoarders of sanitisers and masks

By

-

March 18, 2020

After noticing that prices of sanitisers and masks going up by the day, the Maharashtra government has included these two items under the Essential Commodities Act up to June 30. The government has taken this decision to make these commodities available at a fair price for citizens. Both masks (2-ply and 3-ply surgical masks, N 95 masks) and hand sanitisers have been brought under the Essential Commodities Act.

The decision would empower the state to regulate the production, quality and distribution of hand sanitisers and masks. Taking cognizance of the rising cases of hoarding and black marketing by Coronavirus suppliers, the government has been compelled to take this bold step.

Talking on the same, State Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) minister Rajendra Shingne said, “Strict action will be taken against suppliers indulging in black marketing of these commodities.” The government has taken action against suppliers who hoard sanitisers and masks at 22 locations of the state. Shingne has also asked medical stores to stop the sale of suspected fake sanitisers. Various sub-standard and fake sanitiser manufacturing units have emerged across the country amid the Coronavirus outbreak. Shingne also warned that excess usage of sanitisers will cause damage to health. Maharashtra is already witnessing shortage of masks and hand sanitisers and therefore the government is procuring these commodities from other states.”

There has been a surge in number of Coronavirus cases in Maharashtra with the number of persons infected by the virus reaching 43. As a precautionary measure, people have been using masks and sanitisers to combat Coronavirus. There has been a huge demand for masks and hand sanitisers. As a result of this there has been a massive shortage of masks and hand sanitisers. Taking advantage of the rising shortage of these commodities, suppliers have been selling fake masks and hand sanitisers. Therefore Shingne said that the government is planning to take stringent action against hoarders and black marketers of masks and hand sanitisers. The Maharashtra government has taken various steps to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

Despite this, there has been a rise in the number of cases of Coronavirus. The government has asked schools, colleges and malls to shut down till March 31. The government has also asked various temples in the state to shut till March 31. Prominent temples which have been asked to shut include Siddhivinayak Temple, Shitladevi Temple, Tuljabhavani Temple, Shirdi Sai Baba Temple and Dagdusheth Halwai Temple among others.

Tanker carrying chemical liquid catches fire in Thane

By

Web Team

-

March 18, 2020

On Wednesday afternoon a tanker carrying inflammable liquid caught fire at Shil Phata in Thane. The fire was brought under control within couple of hours, said chief of Regional Disaster Management Cell Santosh Kadam.

After the tanker caught fire, there were two explosions and it fallen on its side.

The tanker driver, who received minor injuries, was taken to a nearby hospital, he said.

The accident caused a huge traffic jam on Shil Mhape road.

Fire brigade officials said the tanker was carrying some kind of “highly inflammable material” but it was not petrol or diesel, and further probe was on.

Justice Dharmadhikari appointed as a new chief justice of Bombay HC

By

Web Team

-

March 18, 2020

Acting Chief Justice Bhushan Pradyumna Dharmadhikari was appointed as the new Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday. The senior most judge, Justice Dharmadhikari was appointed as acting chief justice following the retirement of Justice Pradeep Nandrajog, the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court.

More than a month ago, his cousin Justice S.C. Dharmadhikari – who was the then senior most judge after Chief Justice – had resigned.

A notification issued by Law and Justice ministry said on Wednesday: “In exercise of the power conferred by Clause (I) Article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Justice Bhushan Pradyumna Dharmadhikari, Judge of Bombay High Court, to be the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.”

Former Union Minister Prabhu continues to be self-quarantine, tested negative for COVID-19

By

Web Team

-

March 18, 2020

Former Union minister, Suresh Prabhu has self-quarantined himself, even after tested negative took precautionary measure for 14 days at his residence following his return from a meeting in Saudi Arabia on March 10.

Earlier, Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan had self-quarantined himself following his recent visit to medical institute had found positive COVID-19 case. However, later he was tested negative.

The total number of the COVID-19 cases in India has hiked to 152 as of now and around 14 people recovered. Moreover, Union External Minister Jaishankar presented a reporter; articulating more than 250 Indian students have been tested positive that went to Iran.

There are instructions on self-quarantined people who had recently visited to foreign land. This is being done to stop dissemination of deadly COVID-19. The duration of self-quarantine is set to be 14 days by the centre government.

Navi Mumbai: Major fire breaks out near DY Patil University, no casualties reported

By

Hema Singh

-

March 18, 2020

On Wednesday a major fire broke out at an under-construction building in DY Patil University Campus in Navi Mumbai’s Nerul area. According to the report, the incident took place around 1.45 pm and the rescue service were immediately pressed in action and the situation was brought under control.

A fire brigade official said the blaze was doused within 30 minutes. “The fire was put off immediately and the source of the same was thermocol blocks,” a statement from the university said. The university also confirmed that there was no man or material damage.

Fire burst out at DY Patil, Nerul Navi Mumbai. #fire @zee24taasnews @abpmajhatv @TV9Marathi @ABPNews @ANI pic.twitter.com/aMeTJS4cCa

— Deepak Kapure (@kapuredeepak) March 18, 2020

Choose between Quarantine Centres or Home Quarantine

By

Afternoon Voice

-

March 18, 2020

With conditions in Maharashtra getting worse because of this novel Coronavirus and with news coming in that Maharashtra stands on top of the states affected by this dreaded epidemic having registered around 50 cases, more and more people are scared and are searching for treatment and safety. But those who have been affected by this dreaded epidemic have been advised to look out for quarantine centres to go and get themselves isolated and treated.

But what is quarantine after all? “Well it is a method by which a virus affected man is cured,” replied my friend Akshay Shah.

No, I said. In general, a quarantine is ‘a strict isolation imposed to prevent the spread of a disease.’ As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains, the practice of a quarantine specifically involves the separation of a person or group of people reasonably believed to have been exposed to a communicable disease but not yet symptomatic from others who have not been so exposed to prevent the possible spread of the particular disease.

In this exercise people are put in quarantine when they are not currently sick but have been or may have been exposed to a communicable disease. This can help stop the spread of the disease. Voluntary quarantine is often called self-quarantine.

Historically, a quarantine is referred to a period originally of 40 days imposed upon ships when suspected of carrying an infectious or contagious disease. This practice was done in Venice in the 1300s in an effort to stave off the plague. Later on this practice turned on human.

Quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people and goods that is intended to prevent the spread of a disease. It is often used in connection to diseases and illnesses preventing the movement of those who may have been exposed to a communicable disease but do not have a confirmed medical diagnosis. The term is often used synonymously with medical isolation in which those confirmed to be infected with a communicable disease are isolated from the healthy population.

Quarantine may be used interchangeably with cordon sanitaire and although the terms are related, cordon sanitaire refers to the restriction of movement of people into or out of a defined geographic area such as a community in order to prevent an infection from spreading.

The word quarantine comes from a seventeenth-century Venetian variant of the Italian quaranta giorni, meaning ‘forty days’, the period that all ships were required to be isolated before passengers and crew could go ashore during the Black Death plague epidemic. Quarantine can be applied to humans but also to animals of various kinds and both as part of border control as well as within a country a state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that have arrived from elsewhere or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed.

The purpose of such quarantine-for-decontamination is to prevent the spread of contamination such that others are not put at risk from a person fleeing a scene where contamination is suspect. It can also be used to limit exposure as well as eliminate a vector.

Quarantine centres have their own stories to tell. A lady who had been to the Kasturba Hospital for a check- up and eventually got admitted came out running complaining that the bed she was allotted was full of red ants on which no could not sit leave alone sleep. She even complained of ill-kept wards. If such is the condition, then just imagine about the plight of patients admitted in the hospital.

In the 21st century, people suspected of carrying infectious diseases have been quarantined as in the cases of Andrew Speaker (multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis, 2007) and Kaci Hickox (Ebola, 2014). Moving infected patients to isolation wards and home-based self-quarantine of people potentially exposed was the method by which the Western African Ebola virus epidemic was finished in 2016; health experts criticised international travel restrictions imposed during the epidemic as ineffective due to difficulty of enforcement and counterproductive as they slowed down aid efforts.

The People’s Republic of China has employed mass quarantines – firstly of the city of Wuhan and subsequently of all of Hubei province (population 55.5 million) – in the 2019–20 Coronavirus outbreak. After a few weeks, the Italian government imposed lockdowns all over the country (with more than 60 million people) to stop the Coronavirus outbreak.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Letters to the Editor: 18 March, 2020

By

Web Team

-

March 18, 2020

Mumbai is a time bomb as far as Coronavirus is concerned

Overpopulated cities including Mumbai has to be very cautious as Coronovirus would otherwise prove catastrophic and a time bomb on the city. The spitting habits of people need to be stopped and this would only happen if people are penalized with fines and arrests. Hygiene is very important when it comes to fighting COVID-19 and people need to be educated with learning programmes.

Slums are pockets where the disease can spread like wildfire. Illegal hutments need to be evacuated and displaced to other locations so that the entire city is not put to risk.

Chief Minister should declare a medical emergency and curfew at areas that are at high risk. Labs to test Coronovirus as well as quarantine facilities should be in place so that they can be used whenever the situation warrants. Citizens too should cooperate with government as the hardship encountered is for their own safety.

S.N. Kabra

Hang Nirbhaya convicts

Despite the highest court in the country having confirmed the death sentence for this heinous crime, the four accused in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case have been happily filing applications all over and that too one by one, only to merely delay and derail the due process of law.

All this misuse of the judiciary and precious scant court time is absolutely impermissible. May be, it’s high time the government amends the law to ensure that punishment for such grievous crimes should be extremely fair but yet very swift. There needs to be a deterrent to the law breakers.

Will it need that a child of a ruling politician is raped and murdered for the government to awaken to this reality that justice delayed is justice denied? The four Nirbhaya rapists (Mukesh Kumar Singh, Vinay Kumar Sharma, Pawan Kumar Gupta and Akshay Kumar Singh) should be hanged till death at the earliest so that other rapists may learn a lesson from this incident and not treat women like sex objects in order to satisfy their carnal desires. But what about the juvenile who has raped Nirbhaya too. Why he was given just three years imprisonment and left with just a light warning? Besides giving him a light warning and three years of imprisonment, why has he been hidden in an isolated place where no one knows where he is now? Is there an answer to this? How much money has he bribed the court to let him off with just a light warning and only three years of imprisonment? Justice should be given to Nirbhaya’s parents so that her soul may rest in peace.

Jubel D’Cruz

Impose ban on spitting in public places

In the wake of the deadly contagious disease COVID-19 it is high time the central and state government implement strict prohibitory orders banning spitting in public. Though some States and municipal corporations in India did come out with severe penalty and punishment for public spitting it seems the law is only in the papers as public spitting continues. There are people who out of ignorance and lack of public unawareness spit in public which is unpleasant, unacceptable and antisocial. It is a filthy habit that can spread germs and cause health issues. It is the responsibility of all the citizens to be aware of health issues caused due to unawareness and ignorance and therefore they have to maintain and follow a hygienic way of living. Levying penalty and punishment alone will not help in reducing people spitting in public. Educational institutions, firms, organisations, local administration and each and every citizen will have to avoid this dirty and disgusting habit. Let us spread and follow the message of healthy living.

M Pradyu

MU exams postponed

Better council prevailed and the Mumbai University exams are postponed as expected. This follows repeated appeals by parents, teachers and students. So, all the semester examinations of the Mumbai University scheduled to begin from 23 March have been cancelled and postponed till after March 31 due to the Corona virus outbreak. Thus over 60000 students escaped the risk of attending MU exams and thereby exposed to dreadful Coronavirus at this crucial hour. The situation will be reviewed before the stipulated date and a fresh declaration may be issued depending on the COVID-19 situation.

Chitra Rugmini

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

God’s doors closed – Coronavirus Outbreak

By

Hema Singh

-

March 17, 2020

Most prominent temples of Mumbai namely Mumbadevi Temple will remain closed for devotees as a precaution against the dreaded Coronavirus. On March 16 the trustee’s of Siddhivinayak, Mumbadevi and several other temples of the Mumbai decided to close the temples till further notice. The Siddhivinayak Temple attracts approximately 30,000 worshippers every day. The Maharashtra government has already appealed to people to avoid crowd gatherings as a step to prevent the viral infection for which it has imposed Section 144.

“Well, Mumbadevi Temple is perhaps the oldest temple of Mumbai frequented by people from UP, Bihar and Bengal besides those from Mumbai. The government order to shut places of worship is all right taking into consideration the number of people who visit the temple on a daily basis. This order will not only affect us, but will also affect all temples like Siddhivinayak, Mahalaxmi Mandir, Shitladevi Mandir, Babulnath Mandir etc. In these trying times of Coronavirus, we have to abide by the diktats of the government,” said Mumbadevi Temple, Head priest, Prajapati Maharaj.

Besides these temples of Mumbai, Tuljabhavani Temple, another popular shrine in Maharashtra located in Osmanabad district will remain shut for devotees till 31 following a recommendation by the Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Also the Saibaba Temple at Shirdi shut in view of the Coronavirus outbreak. Earlier, Shri Saibaba Sansthan appealed to devotees to postpone their trip to Shirdi for a few days on account of Coronavirus outbreak in the country.

List of Temples closed

Mumbadevi Temple
Siddhivinayak Temple
Mahalaxmi Mandir
Shitladevi Mandir
Babulnath Mandir
Tuljabhavani Temple
Sai Baba Temple (Shirdi)
Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai

On March 17, A 64-year-old Coronavirus patient died at Mumbai’s Kasturba Hospital. This death was India’s third reported death linked to COVID-19 infection as the first Coronavirus death case was reported from Karnataka and the second from the National capital. This is the first case of Coronavirus death reported in Maharashtra. With this the total number of Coronavirus-related death has reached three in India. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is expected to issue a formal statement on the death soon.

Siddhivinyak and Mumbadevi temples that are popular tourist destinations in the city that record a daily footfall of around 50,000 devotees will remain shut till further notice. Even the Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai temple in Pune will remain closed for devotees till further orders.

Taking a precaution measure and seeing the numbers of death across the country, trustees of respective temples have taken this step to avoid the crowd.

According to trustees of respective temples, the regular pujas and worship will continue in the sanctum sanctorum. However, public entry will be barred.

“Ours is an enclosed space and the sanctum sanctorum is rather small, so we do not want crowds to be at risk. Regular pujas will continue inside the temple but public entry will be barred. We have been taking precautions like sanitizing the temple premises,“ said Aadesh Bandekar, temple trust chief of Siddhivinayak.

A total of 125 positive cases have been reported in India so far. Maharashtra has so far reported 41 cases of Coronavirus. The state has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in India numbering 51. Three of them are foreign nationals.

Worship places closed to tackle Coronavirus

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

March 17, 2020

In a hope to contain the spread of Coronavirus in Mumbai, many religious leaders have modified their rituals. Not only that, but the temples and other religious worshipping places have been closed for an indefinite period. Mumbai is taking more drastic measures, cancelling worship services, closing religious places and shutting holy sites. In such a distress situation, temple is the only place of worship that gives positive vibes to provide a panic person some solace. But the Government and the temple trusts believe that the public gathering can create hindrance in protecting people from the spread of Coronavirus. Due to concerns over the global spread of the dreaded disease, especially in nearby places, temporary suspended visit to its holy sites. The Mahalakshmi Mandir, Mumbadevi Mandir and the Siddhivinayak Temple will remain closed for some time. Even the churches and mosques have been closed for public prayers.

Millions of Muslims visit the Saudi kingdom around the year for Haj pilgrimage but the current travel restrictions prevent the entry of both overseas pilgrims and Saudi citizens into the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. This has had a direct impact on the Umrah pilgrimage known as the “lesser pilgrimage,” that can be performed at almost any time of the year. Whether or not the restrictions will extend to the haj which begins around July 28, can be known only after it becomes clear how long the Coronavirus outbreak will last. Both the Umrah and haj are important pilgrimages for Muslims, but they differ in many respects.

Other than religious places, the city has closed all malls, gyms and movie theaters. Sports leagues, museums and other cultural institutions, churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and gurdwaras have been temporarily closed to guard against spreading the virus. For many spiritual leaders, the decision to shut their doors is difficult. Religious rituals are meant to be enacted, soul and body, traditionally alongside other believers. But the present dangers of the deadly virus have forced many religious groups to close their place of worship. This move has led to cancellations worldwide in the last 48 hours.

Vatican announced that the Holy Week celebrations in Rome, events that typically draw thousands of pilgrims from around the world would be closed to the public because of the “current global public health emergency”. But with Easter, Ramadan, Passover and other holy days approaching, Coronavirus will undoubtedly upend religious lives in 2020. For many Muslim men, group prayers on Friday are a religious obligation. But as congregations across the country and the world weighed whether to stay open, experts in Islamic law have stepped in.

Together with Muslim medical experts, the society has strongly recommended that congregations take precautions against the pandemic including immediately suspending congregational prayers and other community gatherings. Muslims in Kuwait, Germany, Iran and other places around the world have also suspended services as of Friday. Some Muslim leaders in America have urged their communities to be prepared for a protracted fight against Coronavirus. In non-hierarchical religions, like Judaism and Buddhism, local congregations are making their own decisions or looking to scholars for advice. The Rabbinical Assembly, which issues opinions on Jewish law for Conservative movement Jews, advised following civil and medical guidance. It also advised engaged Jews to postpone their weddings, if possible.

The Rabbinical Council of America which issues guidelines for Orthodox Jews modified its guidance as the week wore on. The Council said that public gatherings in synagogues and schools should be severely limited. (They also noted the decision of rabbis in Bergen County, New Jersey, to shut down services and gatherings.) The Coronavirus threat and state and county-imposed cap on large gatherings hasn’t just impacted the Bay Area’s museums, sports arenas, businesses and schools. Churches, temples and mosques are cancelling services and shabbat, postponing events and live streaming services, prayers and dharma talks. People have been asked to remain at home, work from and avoid mingling in public events. This is not the first time diseases have impacted pilgrimages. Cholera outbreaks in 1821 and 1865 claimed thousands of lives during haj. In 2012 and 2013, Saudi authorities encouraged the ill and the elderly not to undertake the pilgrimage amid concerns over Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS. While the recent decision to halt Umrah will disappoint Muslims looking to perform the pilgrimage, they might refer to a hadith that provides guidance about travelling during a time of an epidemic. In the meantime, even Hindus may not like getting temple doors closed but one need to understand that saving human lives is a bigger worship. God is going to be in his place even if you return after ages, but once safety is guaranteed when gatherings are controlled, all is going to be well.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

SC grants ‘Permanent Commission’ to women officers in Navy

By

Web Team

-

March 17, 2020

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court granted permanent commission to women officers in the Indian Navy with an order that read, “Women can sail with the same efficiency as male officers and there should be no discrimination.”

A division of bench of justices DY Chandrachud and Ajay Rastogi said refraining permanent commission for women will amount to miscarriage of justice. The court said that there cannot be gender discrimination in allotting permanent commission to women officers in the Navy after the statutory bar was revoked by the Centre to allow entry to women. “Once the statutory bar was lifted to allow entry of women officers, male and female officers would be treated equally in granting permanent commission,” the SC added.

The bench however rejected the Centre’s stand that women officers in the Navy cannot be allotted sea duties because Russian made vessels does not have women washrooms. The SC referring to the Centre’s stand said there are enough evidences to suggest women officers in Navy brought recognition and honour to the force. The verdict also grants benefits such as pensions and other allowance as compared to their male counterpart in the Navy.

A permanent commission entitles an officer to serve in the Navy till he/she retires unlike Short Service Commission (SSC), which is for 10 years that can be extended by four years.