Navi Mumbai malls to open after joint decision with other civic commissioners: NMMC chief

NAVI MUMBAI: With daily positive cases on the higher side and preparations afoot to provide around 1,000 oxygen beds, NMMC Commissioner, Abhijit Bangar, has exercised caution in deciding to open the malls as there was a risk factor of shoppers crowding the signature malls in the city.
The civic chief has decided to open the malls after a joint decision with his counterparts in Thane district because none of the several corporations have given a nod for malls to open in their jurisdictions.The malls in the expanding city under Panvel corporation are also closed. If NMMC opens the malls, there would be a rush and a risk factor, he said.
"We can open the malls, but more shoppers would crowd the centres because the malls were not open elsewhere in Thane district," he observed.
The civic body is presently engaged with providing 400 oxygen beds at two centres --export market at APMC and Radha Swami Satsangh, Turbhe. These two centres will also have another 400 non -oxygen beds. Once they are ready, expected in some 10-11 days, the non-oxygen beds at Cidco exhibition centre( currently occupied) would be converted to oxygen beds, Abhijit said.
There are 483 oxygen beds at the Cidco centre. Another 619 has been planned. The civic body has also got 75 oxygen beds at the MGM hospital, Sanpada.
"There's surplus oxygen beds as occupancy is 63 per cent of the total available, but we need to be prepared," the commissioner noted.