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Chandigarh residents stay indoors to back PM’s Janata Curfew
Even the busiest intersections at the transport light point, Tribune Chowk and the Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT) in Sector 43 were free of traffic. Popular haunts such as Sukhna Lake and the Sector 17 plaza remained empty
Deserted streets, the call of birds and squirrels, and silence. Chandigarh appeared to be a ghost town on Sunday morning as people stayed home following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for a social distancing initiative, Janata Curfew, to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease.
Even the busiest intersections at the transport light point, Tribune Chowk and the Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT) in Sector 43 were free of traffic. Popular haunts such as Sukhna Lake and the Sector 17 Plaza remained empty.
Markets, with the exception of pharmacies and ATMs, were closed, as were most Verka and Vita milk booths. Apartment societies and other gated communities, especially in the southern sectors, too, did not allow outsiders.
Success of the curfew could be attributed to various resident and market welfare associations asking residents to stay home between 7am and 9pm and to applaud at 5pm from their balconies for the people, who were at the forefront of the battle against coronavirus.
The Sector 26 grain market was to remain open till 7am, however officials said barely any sales were made and they left early. Apni mandis were to be set up in Sector 34 and Dadumajra. But were not organised as no farmers had turned up at the mandis.
Some gurdwaras and temples were open early in the morning, but stayed closed post 7am. President of the Chandigarh Samuh Gurdwara Prabandhak Sangathan, Tara Singh said the gurdwaras were shut and sanitised. Reverend Ignatius Mascarenhas, Bishop of the Simla-Chandigarh Diocese, had announced that the Sunday mass will be cancelled to avoid large gatherings.
Police patrolling continued through the day.
MOHALI REMAINED VIRTUALLY DESERTED
Essential commodity outlets remained shut in a virtually deserted Mohali, where even tea vendors took a day off.
Regular walkers, cabs, workers in building projects too decided to stay at home. “For the past two days we have been urging residents to stay at home for one day, and they implemented it. In this extraordinary situation we have to take extraordinary measures. A disaster has befallen us and by staying united and indoors, we can stay safe,” said CL Garg, president of the Confederation of Greater Mohali Residents’ Welfare Associations, the apex body of Mohali’s 65 RWAs.
Shops and office remained closed in other towns of the district such as Kharar, Dera Bassi, Zirakpur and Kurali.
MC teams also sanitised areas under their respective jurisdiction, continuing the drive to paste notices outside homes where people have been quarantined.
Deputy commissioner (DC) Girish Dayalan and SSP Kuldeep Singh Chahal also visited different parts of the district and exhorted people to stay indoors and support the district administration in combating coronavirus.
LITTLE TRAFFIC ON PANCHKULA ROADS
All residential and commercial areas remained deserted. The main and inner roads had little to no traffic even as the police control room (PCR) vehicles and bike quick response teams with two riders each patrolled almost all sectors.
Except for pharmacies, which implemented safe distancing measures by cordoning off corridors outside their shops, all commercial establishments, including liquor vends, shops and showrooms in the main city and inner markets, were closed in Sectors 8 to 11; 15 and 16; and 20 and 21.
“Most people had stocked up on essential grocery supplies. All shops were shut post noon on Saturday as a precautionary measure,” said Surinder Bansal of the Sector 9 Market Association.
Dhabas, liquor vends, beauty parlours and salons, shopping centres and coaching institutes also remained closed here following orders by Panchkula deputy commissioner Mukesh Kumar Ahuja.
MC teams were seen sanitising roads and public places with fire tenders and spraying machines. Construction work too stopped. Liquor vends will be monitored regularly.
