Longer night curfew, lockdown on the cards in Chandigarh

The proposed move is aimed at bringing uniformity and facilitating greater coordination between the three administrations in the tricity

The Chandigarh authorities are “actively considering” extending the night curfew in the city on the lines of Punjab and Haryana, and are also open to a longer lockdown in the coming days, said a top source in the administration on Tuesday.

The UT administration had first imposed the night curfew on April 6, from 10pm to 5am. (Representational photo)

“This will bring uniformity and facilitate greater coordination between the three administrations in the tricity,” said the official, while adding that the decision on the night curfew extension is likely to be taken within a day or two.

The administration had first imposed the night curfew on April 6, from 10pm to 5am. The timings were revised to 9pm-5am on April 23, and now, the administration is likely to revise them further to 6pm-5am.

“There is no alternative now, but to impose stricter restrictions in the city with a sharp increase in the positive cases in the past one week,” said the official, who did not wish to be named.

The Punjab government had announced fresh restrictions on movement on Monday, extending the night curfew by two hours, from 6pm to 5am, and ordering a strict weekend lockdown. Earlier, Haryana had also directed the closure of non-essential shops from 6pm.

“We will be discussing the imposition of longer lockdown and weekend lockdown with the central government, and also deliberate upon it in the Covid war room meeting,” said the official. The UT officials, it is learnt, are also in talks with their Punjab and Haryana counterparts for a pan-tricity lockdown.