Mumbai: Raising concern over the surge of crowds and the approaching festive season, the Bombay High Court said that if immediate steps were not taken, then things would get worse, just as they did a few months ago that led to the onset of the Covid-19 second wave. “Considering prevailing situation of uncertainty and ensuing festivities, we face a threat to humankind,” the HC said.
A full bench comprising Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court Dipankar Datta, and Justices Amjad Sayed, KK Tated and Prasanna Varale, asked the authorities and also the citizens to “learn from mistakes and not be complacent”. The court cited healthcare experts’ opinion that the Covid third wave was “knocking at our doors”.
The administrative committee of the HC had a meeting on Monday with the lawyers’ bar associations and experts. Chief Justice Datta said, “In our meeting of the administrative committee of the HC, the lawyers and other experts, Dr Rahul Pandit, who heads the special taskforce appointed by the Supreme Court, said that the third wave was knocking at our doors”. The court quoted Dr Pandit as saying that the country will have to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour till at least April 2022.
“Unless Covid-appropriate behaviour is followed, the state will face imminent danger. Dr Pandit is of the view that at least till the end of April 2022, the nation may not get rid of the ill-effects of Covid,” Chief Justice Datta said.
Warning the authorities to control the crowding in the city, the bench said: “If you (government) do not control or restrict this, then again the same situation is bound to happen. We need to draw from our experience.”
