Innovative Covid-19 decontamination tunnel in Kashmir; SMC's indigenous move

As the saying goes, there is light at the end of the tunnel, amid the coronavirus pandemic in the Valley it proves right. Hospital visitors in Srinagar were awestruck when they were asked to walk through a tunnel before entering the premises of the Chest Diseases Hospital, Srinagar. 

In a bid to stem the coronavirus pandemic in Kashmir, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) installed and made operational the first-ever disinfectant tunnel for decontamination and sanitisation at the CD Hospital Dalgate. Now, with the operationalisation of the tunnel, people, including doctors, hospital workers, patients and other attendants, can get sanitised instantly while entering or leaving the hospital premises.

Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu, accompanied by officials, visited the Chest Diseases (CD) Hospital to inspect and kick start the installation of the decontamination tunnel. A video, which took the internet by the storm showing health workers walking through the tunnel. 

With @pervez_twt, @Gazanfa20829158, @aboali_syed, @naveednazirshah and other officers, doctors, colleagues at Chest Diseases Hospital, Srinagar today for the installation of SMC's first in-house manufactured Decontamination Tunnel - Designed and Mech team led by Mr. Itrat Naseem! pic.twitter.com/iN7SrUh9oZ

— Mayor of Srinagar #StayHomeSaveLives (@MayorofS) April 2, 2020

In an interview, Mayor Mattu said around 200 such more tunnels, designed by the SMC engineers, would be installed at hospitals, public places and bank branches in coming days. "We have intensified our fight against COVID19. Installation of this tunnel is one of major efforts in this direction," he said.

Other initiatives to curb Covid-19 in the Valley 

Apart from this innovative decontamination tunnel initiative, the SMC has taken various measures to curb the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic by sanitising all the areas where people were found to be positive for this deadly disease with especially recommended chemicals, including the quarantine facilities and hospitals.

Earlier, the Mayor shared pictures of the game-changing boom sprayers, he tweeted,  "the new area boom sprayers we received today. They are the latest in technology and efficacy and will effectively disinfect a radius of 50 feet while being towed. We will commission these tomorrow and start disinfecting all major roads in the city." 

Apart from that, four mechanical decontamination and sanitisation squads were mobilised to decontaminate 300-meter radius areas at three locations in Srinagar. 

(Story to be updated further)