Local Lens

The outbreak of Hand,Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) in Worli and Haji Ali areas has affected more than 100 children in the past one month. HFMD,an infectious disease caused by coxsackie’s virus,mainly spreads in infants and children aged eight months to five years.

Dr Mukesh Agrawal,head of paediatrics department of KEM Hospital,said this was a seasonal disease that spreads in November and December. “The symptoms are blisters on hands,legs and soles,along with ulcers in mouth. It is unusual to see such an outbreak,at this time of the year,” he said.

KEM Hospital has received more than 50 cases in the past one month from Worli’s BDD chawl that has closely packed matchbox apartments with poor hygiene levels. Agrawal,who also practices privately in Worli,said there were many children who visited private doctors for treatment of HFMD,therefore the count was higher.

“Since this is infectious and spreads through direct contact,we suggest home rest for children to avoid more contraction,” Agrawal said.

There is no specific treatment for HFMD. For the past five years,cases of HFMD has been on the rise,however,the disease is not considered fatal by the doctors.

Andheri west flyover ‘haven’ for drug peddlers

The underside of C D Barfiwala Flyover in Andheri West,which was commissioned two years ago,has reportedly been occupied by anti-social elements. Residents living near the flyover rue that drug addicts have made their dens in the space under the bridge and pose a threat to their safety.

“They often fight among themselves. A few weeks ago,a murder was reported from the area. If they attack one of us,we might not be able to overpower them,” said Prashant Mavani of Juhu Lane S V Road ALM.

Mavani said this issue,along with several other grievances,would be taken up at a meeting of all the residents in the vicinity on Saturday.

Illegal parking,he said,had also mushroomed below the flyover. “Vehicles are parked under the bridge in a haphazard manner and often there is no space for us to even make a U-turn under the bridge,” he added.

“The MMRDA,which constructed the flyover,was responsible for its upkeep. But last week,it was finally handed over to the BMC. I now plan to construct a garden in the space below to eliminate the parking and encroachment problems. If it remains empty,vagrants and drug-peddlers will squat there,” said K-west ward 62 councillor Ameet Satam.

A civic official said action had been taken to check illegal parking. “It has taken a lot of effort to clear drug peddlers from the space. The parking,though illegal,has helped to temporarily keep them away until a permanent solution is found,” he said.

Nardas Nagar residents grapple with traffic woes

Residents of Nardas Nagar in Bhandup West are facing severe traffic woes with bottlenecks such as the single lane stretch between Laxmi Hotel at Jangal Mangal Road to Ashok Kedari Chowk along Tembipada Road. Dotted with hawkers on both sides,the road sees heavy vehicular standstills. Lack of footpaths along the road forces pedestrians to walk on the road,adding to the congestion.

Nardas Nagar corporator Anisha Majgaonkar said a proposal to widen roads was pending with the civic administration for a year.

“The area is full of slums and a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project is already planned in the area to relocate slums along the road. Road widening is expected to take place once the project is initiated.”

According to the public representative,traffic jams are witnessed especially during school hours,since Nardas Nagar is home to at least five schools. “The road is too narrow for school buses to ply. Last week,a 75-year-old woman died after she was reportedly hit by a minibus near Mangaat Ram petrol pump. The road had vehicles parked on both sides. Such situations are only set to increase,if the road is not widened for proper vehicular movement.”

(Contributed by Srinath Rao,Stuti Shukla,

Tabassum Barnagarwala and Priyal Dave)