We had no way about knowing the lockdown relaxations for Mumbai because this piece was written before the state government and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) released their revised orders. But one thing is for sure, that the full unlocking of the country's biggest red zone depends on how we tackle the grave health scare through June, and how we, as responsible citizens, respond to the relaxations, if any, this month. Since the previous response was very discouraging, the authorities will think twice before unlocking, fully or partially, the city's urgent humanity.

The country's economic hub and one of the most densely populated cities has its own behavioural characteristics, that have driven it through natural calamities and a series of terror attacks in the past. We have seen how the Mumbai spirit replaced fear and the city resumed its routine to power the country's growth. Mumbai contributes 6 per cent to the country's GDP and 66 per cent to Maharashtra's GDP. In March 2019, the state collected R42,000 crore. But in March 2020, the collection dipped to just R17,000 crore — a drop of 60 per cent. The income for April and May will be even less than the previous months.