Maharashtra needs to increase COVID-19 testing: Devendra Fadnavis

Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis with Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. Pic/Twitter Devendra Fadnavis

Maharashtra needs to boost its Covid-19 testing capacity, as well as increase the number of isolation centres in a big way, in the wake of rising infections and death rate, Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said on Monday. Fadnavis, who paid a courtesy call on Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in Panaji, also said that the flood situation in Maharashtra needs to be monitored closely in wake of the havoc caused by heavy rains in the western state last year.

"The corona situation in Maharashtra is serious... What is serious is that the rate of infection is also increasing rapidly. Maharashtra also accounts for 42 per cent of the deaths in the country," Fadnavis said. "The situation as of now is very serious. There is a need to increase testing and increase isolation centres in a big way. We are telling this to the government constantly," the former Maharashtra Chief Minister said.

Commenting on the flooding caused by heavy rains in Mumbai and other areas in the state, Fadnavis said that the situation needs to be monitored closely. "Mumbai has seen heavy rain and it has caused a lot of flooding. Levels in Kolhapur had gone very high but have come down in the last two days. It needs to be monitored," Fadnavis said.

"What we observed last time was that especially in Kolhapur, Satara and Sangli, due to heavy rains and water logging, a lot of damage was caused to life and property," Fadnavis said. The former Chief Minister however refused to comment on the investigation of the Mumbai Police into the mysterious death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Earlier on Monday, Fadnavis had inaugurated a Covid laboratory in Sindhudurg district in south west Maharashtra and is scheduled to leave for Mumbai by air from the Dabolim International Airport in Goa later.

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