Zero Beggars drive

The month-long Zero Beggars drive aims to make Mumbai “begging free”. As part of this campaign, police are tracking down beggars and lodging them at a special home after testing them for COVID-19. This initiative is in accordance with the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959. It seeks to prevent the practice of people forcing children to engage in begging. In November 2020, approximately 29,000 beggars were identified in the city. This figure includes women and children.