CHAP. VII. ] Measures in the City of Bombay. 141
The Government
of Bombay point
out difficulties in
carrying out
the measure on
a large scale.
removal of people to temporary dwellings was deemed impracticable
if carried out on a large scale and by force. They stated that all
that was practicable was being done by persuasion. Vigorous action
was being taken for the demolition of insanitary huts, and regulations
were about to issue under the Epidemic Diseases Act providing for
the evacuation of infected houses, the entry into and cleaning, etc.,
of deserted houses, the prohibition of the further use of evacuated
and deserted houses, the summary abatement of overcrowding and
the closing of houses unfit for habitation. House-to-house visitation
was being conducted energetically in order to ascertain the existence
of plague cases, and houses needing cleaning or unfit for habitation
were being marked with a view to the remedy of the defects.
The Government
of India consider
that the
experiment
should be made
and that
temporary
accommodation
should be at
once provided
The Government of India replied in a telegram dated the 12th that
they had learnt with regret the opinion of the Government of Bombay
with regard to the evacuation of infected houses and the removal of
the inmates to temporary dwellings. In view of the great gravity of
the situation and the manifest importance of rigorous action they
desired the Government of Bombay to reconside their decision.
They considered that the measures described by the Government of
Bombay were very useful, but were not calculated to take the place
of the removal of the inmates of infected houses to a healthy locality.
This course appeared to the Government of India to be the only one
left which offered a hope of subduing the epidemic. They again
urged that sufficient temporary accommodation should be supplied
in a healthy locality.
More detailed
explanation of
the difficulties
made by the
Government of
Bombay.
On the same day that this telegram issued the Government of
Bombay sent a letter explaining in greater detail their objections to
the proposed evacuation of infected houses on a large scale. These
objections were mainly the difficulty in providing temporary accommo-
dation for the very large number of people who would be removed
from their homes, the opposition to be expected from the inhabitants of
the city, and the panic the measure would be likely to occasion amongst
them. The Government of Bombay were advised that it would be
necessary to provide for the accommodation of about 30,000 persons in
camps outside the city, and that this accommodation could scarcely be
prepared before the rainy season made it unfit for habitation. The
inhabitants of the city also had the greatest fear of their sick or them-
selves being removed from their houses. The attempt to enforce removal
on a large scale could probably result in great panic. The people would
refuse to go to the health camps provided for them, and would flee from
the city in thousands, spreading the infection of plague all over the
country.