A rise in Covid cases in Krishnagar prompted its municipal authorities to form a team of 50 dedicated volunteers to deliver essential items at the doorsteps of positive patients in home isolation in the town’s 25 wards.

The volunteer service, launched on Thursday, will be available from 9am to 8pm every day over the next three months.

Among the volunteers are young municipal employees who own motorcycles. Others are members of clubs and social organisations in the town.

An official of the Krishnagar Municipality said the names of volunteers for respective wards, their contact numbers and other necessary details had been sent to councillors and circulated among residents of the municipal area.

SDO Krishnagar (Sadar) Manish Verma, who is also the administrator of Krishnagar Municipality, said: “Our objective is to ensure the fastest possible doorstep service with the support of dedicated motorcycle-borne volunteers who will rush to meet the need of the people recuperating in home isolation.”

Verma said the decision to field volunteers was taken as the town was of late witnessing a rise in the number of Covid cases. Till Thursday, 238 cases have been recorded in the town with 47 positive cases reported during the past seven days.

“Since the number of positive cases has been increasing, the need to serve on a real-time basis has become very important. Dedicated volunteers have been engaged to supply essential items such as medicine, (drinking) water, and other items of daily needs to the recuperating people,” Verma said.

“We invited volunteers to join the service and engaged them only after they gave their written consent,” said Verma.

On Thursday the volunteers were briefed about their duties and trained how to handle calls beyond their duty hours. A magistrate later randomly checked their preparedness.

Volunteers will not be paid for the service but their fuel cost will be reimbursed. This apart, they will be given mandatory protective gear such as mask and 35ml of sanitiser every day.

“This is a sort of community participation. We are taking the support of people who often come forward to organise social activities such as blood donations camps,” Verma added.

Palash Das, one of those who volunteered for the service, said: “I, along with a few of my friends, am providing support to Covid patients ever since the first case was reported in Krishnagar. The invitation from the municipal authorities to do the same job on their behalf is a kind of administrative recognition.”

Even though Covid cases have been reported from nine wards in the town, the administration prepared a team for all wards to be ready to handle any emergency situation.

“We have also drawn up a reserve team if the number of cases rises further,” said former chairman and member of the administrative board Ashim Kumar Saha.