By-Raju Vernekar
Mumbai, Aug 31:
As a precautionary measure amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sealed Prabhukunj building located at Peddar Road in south Mumbai, where the 90 year-old legendary singer Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar resides.
The building has been sealed as a precaution since it houses many senior citizens, the Mangeshkar family, said in a statement and urged people to refrain from rumour mongering.
“We have been inundated by calls enquiring whether Prabhukunj is sealed. The Building Society and the BMC have sealed it in view of the epidemic as we have many senior citizens in the building and it is mandatory to take these precautions. Even our usual festive Ganesha celebrations was a simple familial one this time, to co-operate and support social distancing” the statement read.
There were reports that some residents of the building had tested positive for COVID-19, but the family asked well-wishers to not indulge in any speculations. ”Please do not react to any hearsay on the health of our family members.. We, as a building society in unison, are taking utmost caution, care and co-operating to ensure the well being and safety of all the senior citizens and all the other residing members as well. “By God’s grace and the wishes of so many, the family is safe,” the statement read.
Lata Mangeshkar, her sister Usha Mangeshkar and brother veteran musician Hridaynath Mangeshkar reside in the same building. The entire building is being sanitised to prevent the virus.
In the meanwhile, the coronavirus case tally in Maharashtra has crossed 7,64 lakh with record 16,867 new cases. Besides the Government health authorities are perturbed with the death of three doctors in quick succession this month.
In the first case Dr.Vivek Phadke (55) who was working in COVID Care centre at Murtizapur in Akola district, for the last five months and died within 44 hours after he tested positive. In another case Dr Gopal Kshirsagar (37) who was running his own hospital in Janephal in Buldhana district, was admitted to a private hospital in Aurangabad on 5 August. However he could not survive. Similarly Dr Umesh Manohar Khanapurkar of Bhusawal (Jalgaon district) who was admitted to a private hospital in Mumbai after he tested positive on 11 August passed away within few days.
