Kangra administration marks Covid-19 containment zones on Google Maps

The easy-to-access map shows users the containment zones near their locality. One can also access the map on the district administration’s website http://hpkangra.nic.in.

With Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra witnessing a spurt in Covid-19 cases, the administration has marked containment zones in the district on Google Maps to provide easy access of information to the public.

Representative image

Kangra is the first district in Himachal to mark containment zones on Google Maps.

The easy-to-access map shows users the zones near their locality. One can also access the map on the district administration’s website http://hpkangra.nic.in.

According to the Union ministry of health and family welfare guidelines, a containment zone means at least one person from the area has tested positive for Covid-19. The patient’s family and house are identified as a cluster zone, nearby houses, sometimes the entire village or group of villages is mapped in the containment zone, depending on the area’s geography and population density.

The containment zones are completely blocked and no movement is allowed for at least two weeks. Essential services are provided through home delivery.

“The containment zone strategy is an important and time-tested for limiting the spread of epidemics like COVID-19. The approach is likely to remain in use for quite long,” deputy commissioner Rakesh Kumar Prajapati said.

“The new initiatives of the district administration to disseminate information by using IT tools will help spread awareness about the ever-changing containment zones and measures taken to contain the spread of the disease,” he added.

Additional deputy commissioner, Raghav Sharma, who leads the team which is developing various IT applications to tackle the spread, said new orders are issued daily in wake of the Covid-19 outbreak but for the common man it is tough to dissect useful information.

“IT tools make it easier for public to access such information,” he said, adding that the Google Map linked to the district website shows active containment zones in red colour.

“The de-notified containment zones are depicted in green colour. If someone wants to get information about active containment zones, he may access the information by clicking on the red icon. The information about the time period for which the area has been notified as containment zone is also available on the map,” the ADC said.

At present, Kangra has six active containment zones. The district has recorded ten Covid-19 cases in the last 10 days.