Dr Pradip Awate, 54
Maharashtra surveillance officer, Epidemiology Department

It is 8 pm on a Wednesday. Dr Pradip Awate is juggling multiple calls on the helpline number. The surveillance unit at the Health Department office in Pune is facing a stressful time. "But the team has been at it since March; we are used to it," Dr Awate quips.

He pauses for a quick chat with manager Shravani Kulkarni. "My whole team has been working for more than 12 hours per day since March. There is no concept of weekends either. With any outbreak of disease, keeping a check on data and following guidelines become important. The Chief Minister, the state health minister and the secretary are closely monitoring us. We cannot fail anyone. The data needs to be super accurate."