In conversation with Hindustan Times, Arun Kumar says the situation is more alarming than any other part of the city. “M-East has the highest disenfranchised, unenumerated people in Mumbai. The government records show its population as little over eight lakh, when it has a population of 12 lakh. The testing abysmally low.”
Mumbai Mirror writes about Apnalaya’s initiative to foster dialogue on various aspects of urban life through artistic expressions. Several artistes across genres and people from Mumbai came together in the virtual world to participate in Apna Adda during the lockdown.
In this article for CSRMandate, Arun Kumar and Sarojini Pradhan talk about how the Covid-19 pandemic, which began as a health crisis in March 2020, quickly morphed into a humanitarian crisis. People began to talk about the “invisibles”, whose labour has been critical in running the city, becoming “visible” for the first time.
In conversation with Hindustan Times, Arun Kumar says that there are a couple of things we need to determine if the situation has improved. “Have we increased the number of testing in wards like M-East whose more than 50% population lives in slums? Is there a behavioural change among residents towards social distancing norms?”
In this Mumbai Mirror article, Arun Kumar says that he disagrees with BMC’s achievement claim. “These numbers of improving situation make little sense to me, as we have not had access to a number of crucial data. Be it ward wise data on testing or daily death numbers, there hasn’t been adequate transparency. Looking at the 42% people in slums, one feels we needed more granular strategy. It’s not been there.”
nformal settlements are experiencing a greater surge in COVID-19 cases than other urban neighbourhoods in Mumbai, India. In this article for The Conversation, the author writes about how Shivaji Nagar residents, supported by Apnalaya, adopted their own measures to counter the pandemic.
In This Times of India article, Arun Kumar talks about how the authorities’ neglect reflects in the delayed measures in poorer areas. “Migrant workers and slum dwellers have been an afterthought,” he says.
Arun Kumar speaks to The Hindu about how with all the existing issues, the population in M East Ward is more vulnerable to the novel coronavirus. Government records peg the population of M East below nine lakh, but our assessment shows it is nearly 12 lakh.
Discrepancies in the screening of high-risk contacts of Covid-19 patients in some of Mumbai’s most congested areas have become a cause for concern, as they could lead to further spread of infection. In conversation with Hindustan Times, Arun Kumar says that as people with weak immunity or compromised lungs are most susceptible to Covid-19, it is important to isolate them immediately to break the chain of infection,
Apnalaya raised funds for insurance cover to its volunteers, who go from door to door distributing ration. Arun Kumar speaks to The Hindu, about how we didn’t “feel right” about the fact that while we were safe in our homes, our volunteers were out there, risking everything. “All our staffers have medical cover.”
