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J&K streets wear a deserted look amid Covid curfew
No vehicles were plying on the road, except essential services; at many places, police had blocked the roads with barbed wire and the barricades
Jammu and Kashmir wore a deserted look on Sunday after the administration announced a ‘Covid curfew’ across Jammu and Kashmir from Saturday night to Monday morning.
While people stayed inside their homes, police and Central Reserve Police Force jawans were deployed at all significant places. No vehicles were plying on the road, except essential services. At many places, police had blocked the roads with barbed wire and the barricades.
On Saturday, lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha had announced imposition of weekend curfew in J&K after a spike in Covid cases.
“Complete corona curfew to be observed in the Union Territory from 8PM, 24th April (Saturday) till 6AM, April 26 (Monday). Essential and emergency services to be allowed. All market, commercial institutions will remain closed, (sic)” Sinha’s office had tweeted. Amid surging cases, the government has already imposed night curfew across 20 districts. However, the weekend curfew was announced after the daily case count started crossing 2,000.
The city’s business nerve centre Lal Chowk was empty as the police had barricaded the road last night. Nobody was allowed to move on the road. Likewise all the prominent roads and streets of Kashmir and business centres looked desolate. All the gardens of the city, including the Tulip Garden remained shut. Ordinarily, these gardens attract a significant crowd during weekends, especially tourists. After the surge in cases, tourist influx in the Valley has declined.
The decision to impose curfew on the weekend was taken on the suggestion of experts, who have already requested the administration to impose lockdown in Kashmir to keep the situation under control. Some of the experts and doctors had even suggested a prolonged curfew as they fear the health infrastructure in J&K, especially Kashmir, will not be unable to tackle the daily influx of critical Covid patients.
“The weekend curfew is good. But the government should go for prolonged curfew for a week or two. This will keep the disease well under control,” said a Government Medical College, Srinagar, doctor.
Across Kashmir, police officials were seen encouraging people to sit inside their homes and abide to the curfew.
“Great cooperation by the people. Heartening to see. We can limit the spread! Let only those in dire need come out on normal days as well!” tweeted Baramulla senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rayees Mohammad Bhat while posting pictures of curfew in Baramulla on social media. Police also requested people to wear masks.
“Whilst we enforce lockdown outdoors, it is more important to take extreme precautions in indoor settings where the virus spreads more. Wear K95/N95 masks in cars,buses,offices. Avoid get togethers & open windows to allow air ventilation,” tweeted the Anantnag police on its social media handle.
Meanwhile, Kashmir University has postponed all its offline postgraduate and undergraduate examinations till May 2. The campus will remain closed till April 28.
