E-Paper
Only one pocket of Bapu Dham Colony remains containment zone in Chandigarh
The UT administration order, which came into force with immediate effect, removed the tag of containment zone from Pocket No. 8 in Bapu Dham Colony, Sector 26, and Kacchi Colony in Dhanas
With two areas being denotified on Monday, only Pocket No. 15 of Bapu Dham Colony, Sector 26, with around 2,500 population, remains a containment zone in Chandigarh.
The UT administration order, which came into force with immediate effect, removed the tag of containment zone from Pocket No. 8 in Bapu Dham Colony and Kacchi Colony in Dhanas on Monday besides ending buffer zone restrictions in five other pockets of the congested colony in Sector 26.
With 238 confirmed infections so far, the colony with 60,000 population accounts for 75% Covid-19 cases of Chandigarh.
First, its Pocket No. 15 was notified as a containment zone on April 25. Maximum number of cases have been reported from here. Pocket No. 8 was also designated a containment zone on April 29, and a number of houses were quarantined. No case has been reported from this pocket so far.
Now, besides a containment zone, the colony with 20 pockets is left with just seven buffer zones (No. 4, 5, 7, 13, 14, 16 and 20) with around 12,000 population, where perimeter control will remain in force. While buffer zone restrictions were removed from Pockets No. 1, 6, 10, 11 and 12, which are not having any active Covid-19 cases, on Monday, restrictions were relaxed in Pockets No. 2, 3, 9, 17, 18 and 19 last week.
The administration’s decision came at a time when residents of the colony were up in arms over even “clean” areas (pockets from where no case has been reported) being under strict restrictions. They even threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike.
On Monday, the area affected committee comprising senior officials decided that there was no need to continue the restrictions. On the basis of its report submitted to the administration, the decision to remove perimeter restrictions was taken in the daily review meeting.
Even as earlier restrictions imposed on entry and exit stand relaxed now, UT administrator VPS Badnore appealed to the residents to take proper care like social distancing, hand hygiene and wearing of mask in public places to avoid risk of infection.
The administrator also appealed to others not to stigmatise the colony residents and give them full opportunities for integrating into the society. He directed the labour department to take up the matter with private employers, so that their pending wages could be paid and job opportunities increased.
“The matter regarding exemption of water and electricity charges of areas, which were kept under containment zone is being examined. All symptomatic patients in Bapu Dham Colony have been medically treated. There should be no hesitation among the employees in accepting them back in their jobs,” said UT adviser Manoj Kumar Parida.
