Kerala Fire Services personnel on mission to disinfect state

PTI, Mar 22, 2020, 5:05 PM IST

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is under a self-imposed lock down in an effort to prevent spread of coronavirus, personnel of Department of Fire and Rescue Services on Sunday were on a mission to disinfect the state.

The Fire and Rescue Services department joined hands with the Health department and began spraying disinfectant solution at public places including railway stations and bus stands across the state.

“We have been taking forward to the break the chain initiative of the state government in our offices. As part of that, today we are spraying water mixed with disinfectant at public spaces across the state,” DGP A Hemachandran, who heads the department, told PTI.

He said the fire force has been using sodium hypochlorite solution and spraying it at public spaces in the state.

“Our first response vehicles can spray water using high pressure pipes. We discussed the issue with the Health department and the exercise is undertaken with their help. This is to reduce the spread of virus into the community,” the DGP said.

A senior Fire department official said they were engaged in anti-virus treatment.

“We spray the solution on plastic and steel surfaces including handrails, seats, poles, post, floor and other places where the virus tends to survive for a longer period. Since there is a curfew, it’s easy for us to engage in this exercise,” the officer said.

Kerala is under a complete lock-down and roads in the state capital and other parts wore a deserted look on Sunday as the ‘Janta curfew’ proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to check the spread of coronavirus, was observed by the people.

The self-imposed curfew, called by the Prime Minister was welcomed by the Left government in the state.

Barring a few vehicles, roads in major cities including Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam were empty.

State-run transport buses were off the roads while Kochi Metro Rail also stopped its service along with private buses and the auto-rickshaws.

With 12 new positive cases of Covid-19 reported on Saturday, the total number of infected persons under treatment in Kerala had gone up to 49. Earlier, three people were cured.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appealed for a ‘Janta Curfew’ on Sunday between 7 am and 9 pm as part of social distancing to check the spread of the deadly virus.