BBMP pushing all shops to door deliver groceries across Bangalore through single helpline

To contain the spread of coronavirus, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is pushing all shops to door deliver groceries to their patrons. They are required to register themselves for providing such services through the Covid-19 helpline number launched by the civic body. The idea is to centralise all services and ensure that no resident is deprived of door delivery, and keep a check on areas that are still left out of such service, so special arrangements can be made. When we called them if they are delivering to HSR Layout (where our home office is based), the helpline official said it could happen later this week as more shops enroll. From April 20, things will ease up as the transport sector will be opened up by the central government. This would enable all ecommerce firms to deliver goods as usual.

While only two wards are sealed off from the other neighbourhoods (Padarayanapura and Bapujinagar), the other areas are under lockdown like every other neighbourhood. This means, all the main roads are blocked to ensure that the residents stay within their neighbourhood, unless it’s a medical emergency. Anyone violating the curfew will be arrested and their vehicles seized.

The beauty of this helpline facility is that even shops who do not do home delivery can register with this helpline as the civic agency will arrange third parties to deliver the groceries, vegetables, fruits, and medicine. These measures only go to show that staying home is the only way to contain the spread. No other measure can work in this scenario.

To know the current status of positive, recovered and death cases, just visit this website of BBMP instead of relying on unverified information floating in social media.

Doctors wanted

Chief minister Yeddyurappa is asking doctor volunteers to help in the fight against COVID-19. If you are a doctor who can volunteer your time, give a missed call to: 080-47192219 or visit this website to know more. If you want groceries to be door delivered, keep calling and checking this number as newer areas are being covered as more shops enrol: 080-61914960. We have also found that Amazon is delivering groceries (not vegetables and fruits) with a five-day delivery time. From April 20, the government will open up the transport sector for more free movement of shipments, which will allow all ecommerce operators to function as usual. Until that happens, we would suggest that you keep trying this helpline, and also check out the open markets in playgrounds as they are far safer than air-conditioned, crowded supermarkets. And when you do visit any such supermarket, ask them to door deliver by registering with the BBMP helpline. Even if they cannot do door delivery, the BBMP will make that happen for them. Together, we can resolve the issue of social distancing in such testing times.