Afternoon lockdown order sends Ludhiana residents into tizzy

Amid unawareness and uncertainty, residents panicked to stock up on daily requirements, lining up outside departmental stores

Residents rushed to departmental stores and vegetable vendors in Urban Estate, Phase 1 and 2, Dugri, as the administration suddenly announced a lockdown in the area on Sunday afternoon.

Residents queuing up outside a departmental store to stock up on essentials, after the district administration announced a complete lockdown in Dugri’s Phases 1 and 2 in Ludhiana on Sunday afternoon.  (Harsimar Pal Singh/HT)

Amid unawareness and uncertainty, residents panicked to stock up on daily requirements, even though the administration announced there will be no bar on supply of essential commodities.

Residents complained the administration should have given a heads-up before sealing the area to avoid the frantic chaos.

“While strict steps are required to stop the spread of this deadly disease, the administration should have given the residents at least a day to make arrangements. The sudden announcement in the afternoon sent residents into a tizzy, which led to panic,” said Dilpreet Singh, a resident of Urban Estate, Phase 1.

The decision that that no one will be allowed to move in or out of the area with immediate effect was sure to cause bedlam, said Gurkirat Singh, who lives in Urban Estate, Phase 2. “Rather than locking down the entire area, the administration should barricade only those streets, where positive cases have been reported,” he said.

Making matters worse, residents alleged shopkeepers had spiked the prices of grocery items and vegetables to make most of the situation.

“A bag of 10kg-flour, earlier available for ₹380, was being sold for ₹400. Similarly, prices of vegetables were jacked up by ₹10 to 15 per kg. The administration must stop this blatant fleecing,” said Swaranjit Singh, president of Sukhmani Welfare Society, Urban Estate, Phase 2, Dugri.