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One-day lockdown on Ram Navami largely successful in Chandigarh
Markets remain closed, popular spots like Sukhna Lake and Sector 17 wore deserted look; shops selling essential items like groceries and medicines remained open
The one-day lockdown imposed by the Chandigarh administration on Wednesday was largely successful as markets within sectors remained closed and popular spots like Sukhna Lake, Sector 17 and Rock Garden wore a deserted look.
It was imposed on the occasion of Ram Navami to control the Covid spread amid a sharp spike in cases the last month.
There was thin traffic on roads, though at certain points like Zirkapur-Chandigarh border, there were traffic snarls as police stopped vehicles for checking.
UT adviser Manoj Parida said, “Yes, it was effectively enforced by the police. Even by stopping ten gatherings, we will have prevented 100 infections, on average. Since it was a holiday, inconvenience was minimal. Infection from large temple gatherings have been prevented.”
Shops rendering essential services like grocery and vegetable stores and medicine shops were allowed to stay open. Even though only home delivery was allowed by the administration during the lockdown, in some areas, people were seen walking to shops to buy goods.
Police had to intervene in some areas like Burail to get shops closed which were opened in the morning.
The UT transport department operated 50% of CTU buses, even as most of these went vacant, with very few commuters on the road.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party Chandigarh demanded that an all-party meeting be called by the UT administrator immediately, to frame a substantive policy to deal with the Covid situation. Earlier, Congress had also demanded the same.
AAP has opposed the weekend and one-day lockdowns in Chandigarh. Meanwhile, while a section of Congress leadership has opposed the lockdown, another led by Congress councillor Devinder Singh Babla has favoured a 15-day lockdown.
A senior UT official said, “The administration will discuss the imposition of weekend lockdown and the lockdown for longer duration in its Friday’s Covid review meeting.”
Four FIRs lodged
As many as 30 challans were issued for not wearing masks in public, 255 for not maintain social distancing and 80 for spitting in public. As many as four FIRs were lodged for violating lockdown and four were arrested. Fine was collected amounting to ₹2.35 lakh.
Seven FIRs in Mohali for lockdown violations
Despite complete lockdown imposed in Mohali district on Wednesday, seven FIRs were registered by police against people for moving around and opening of shops. A case has also been registered against popular eatery Nik Baker’s for opening their shop in Phase 7. All shops had been asked to remain closed expect those rendering essential services.
Also, two owners of an immigration firm in Phase 1 were held flouting for flouting lockdown norms. The accused have been identified as Karmjit Singh Sandhu, a resident of Phase 1 and Pradeep Singh, a resident of Daun village in Mohali, owners of “Brilliant Consultants”.
Satinder Singh, senior superintendent of police (SSP), said, around 32 nakas were set up in Mohali city and the seven cases were registered under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of Indian Penal Code.
Also, 446 people were challaned for not wearing masks and not maintaining social distancing.
