Pictures of crowd in the Mumbai local trains raise concerns even before the services resume for the general public

These pictures of the crowd at the railway stations in the city and the Mumbai local train are worrisome, as the services have not yet started for the general public, and only some commuters are able to travel by the trains.

All activities in the city of Mumbai were closed from March 25, 2020, due to coronavirus pandemic, and the government, after much deliberation, started the services again from the month of June. The decision was taken under the 'Mission Begin Again' initiative whereby many activities resumed in the state and only employees working for the emergency services were allowed to travel on the local train.

After several months, the government and the railways have now allowed women, dabbawalas, private security guards, and lawyers to travel by the trains. However, the services are not yet permitted for the general public and this has raised concerns as several protest have been held regarding the same. On the other hand, officials are worried about the safety of the people. These pictures clicked during a busy day at the stations pose questions regarding the social distancing and norms imposed by the government, which, as seen in the picture, are not being followed. 

The state government recently asked the railways to consider starting the local trains for every one, however, observing the conditions, authorities from the railways have called in for a meeting. Officials have been wondering about the condition of the stations and crowd if the local train starts for the general public after Diwali, and how this could spread coronavirus among the people.

So far, the efforts taken by the state government and the local bodies have helped in reducing COVID19 cases in Maharashtra and Mumbai. On Thursday, November 12, officials recorded only 4496 cases in Maharashtra, along with 122 deaths in a single day. Out of the total cases, 858 were reported from Mumbai, whereby 19 people lost their lives due to the infection. But considering the crowd in public places and local trains, the government is worried about the second wave, which has been observed in the west, and experts have stated that to be deadlier than the previous incidences. 

As per data, more than 7.5 million people travel by the Mumbai local train on a daily basis, which is why it is referred to as the lifeline of Mumbai. There have been very few instances when the train services have been shut, and most of them have been due to the monsoon. However, this was the first time, the railways had stopped the services for months, due to the pandemic.

Currently, when the local trains have started for only a few people, one has observed crowd during the peak hours. With more than three people sitting in one seat and the coaches packed with people, one would wonder if it is wise to start the same for the general public. Observing these, the government will have to take some strong steps, primarily to protect the people from coronavirus.