Business Standard

BMC, police to use GPS to track home quarantine travellers

Image

Press Trust of India Mumbai

The Brihanmumbai Municipal

corporation, along with the help of Mumbai police, is going to track the movement of the travellers who have been advised home quarantine using mobile GPS.

After facing several cases of violation of 14-day- long home quarantine, city authorities, in a joint meeting on Thursday, decided to track the movement of home quarantine people.

We have collected mobile numbers of all the people, who have been advised home quarantine after screening them at the airport, said a senior BMC official, adding they are going to share their numbers with the police for tracking their locations using mobile GPS.

The civic authorities have started stamping as home quarantine on the forearms of the people arriving from abroad after undergoing mandatory screening process at the airport, but since the past few days several cases of violations of home quarantine have come to fore in the city.

 

Till Thursday evening, Mumbai had 1,383 people, who have been advised home quarantine.

Highlighting that home quarantine people should avoid public transport and travel by private vehicles, BMC executive health director Padmaja Keskar said such persons are expected to act "responsibly" and avoid meeting people outside.

"If they need any help we can help them in arranging private vehicles and they can also stay in our quarantine facility or hotels," Keskar said.

On Thursday, Western Railway de-boarded over 15 passengers from three trains, including six people from Saurashtra Express at Borivali station, according to railway officers.

Also four engineering students from Germany were de- boarded at Palghar station on Wednesday, they said.

The Mumbai Police are keeping a strict vigil on the people, who have been advised home quarantine and will also track them through GPS, said a senior official.

"We are keeping watch on the home quarantined people along with the BMC and on receiving complaints against them we will take suitable action against them," he said.

The home quarantined people should follow the guidelines issued by the authorities, he said, adding if anybody complaints against them, police can register an offence under section 188 of IPC (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant).

Another police officer said they are going to take action against the violators.

A Mumbai police spokesperson said the civic body is going to implement the move as a precautionary measure, but police will help them in it for the safety of people.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

Don't miss the most important news and views of the day. Get them on our Telegram channel

First Published: Mar 19 2020 | 11:46 PM IST

Explore News