By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Aug. 24: In view of the growing risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) infection, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has intensified disinfection drive to curb community transmission of the virus in the capital.
In the beginning of March, the metropolis had launched the drive of spraying disinfectant to contain the mass outbreak of the deadly coronavirus. Since then, the city office has been giving continuity to the drive.
The KMC has been spraying disinfectant in all market places, hospital areas, streets, public places and corona affected areas of the city, said Dhanapati Sapkota, Chief of the City Police Division. In the beginning, the KMC had been disinfecting the major public places like Teku and Bir Hospital, vegetable market of Kalimati, New Road, Basantapur and city’s major thoroughfares.
Though it is not the time for making crowds, there may be little public movement in some places like hospital, said Sapkota, adding that therefore KMC is attempting to contain the spread of this infection. To limit the wide spread of the virus, the city office has lately expanded the drive to all wards, where the COVID-19 cases have been detected.
Sapkota said, “Daily 14 jet machines and equipment are being mobilised to clean the major public places and virus affected areas of the city.”“The priority has been given to vegetable markets like Kalimati and Balkhu, Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, COVID-19 affected areas, COVID hub hospitals and other market places which used to have mass gathering, before the prohibition was imposed in the city,” said Sapkota.
He further said the KMC would continue this drive until the pandemic would be over and this is important for public health.
According to City Solid Waste Management Department of KMC, ten litres of chlorine has been mixed with a 1,000 litres of water to be sprayed by a jet machine with the capacity of 4,000 litre mix.
The KMC has further asked people to stay inside home and help the government to combat possible coronavirus outbreak.