COVID-19: Amazon to deliver essential items in containment zones in Mumbai

E-commerce firm Amazon India on Thursday said it has collaborated with civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to deliver essential items to residents in containment zones in Mumbai.

With over 10,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 400 deaths, Mumbai, declared as a hotspot zone, has reported the highest number of cases in the country.

Under the initiative, Amazon will deliver orders to a designated delivery point in the vicinity of the containment zone, from where volunteers will further deliver the packages to customers' doorstep, the company said in a statement.

There are 2,473 containment zones in the city.

"Our collaboration with BMC is intended to support those in the containment zones to access essential items conveniently and safely," Amazon India Director, Last Mile Operations, PrakashRochlani said.

The designated interim delivery points will operate in co-ordination with point of contact at the society and designated BMC containment zone officer, he added.

Commenting on the collaboration, BMC Additional Commissioner Jayshree Bhoj said, "Citizenswho reside in containment zones are restricted from stepping out of the containment zones in order to contain the spread of COVID-19. Various e-commerce companies have prioritised deliveries to containment areas at society gates."