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Outside Gzb shops, a Lakshman Rekha to maintain social distance
Outside a grocery shop in Modinagar, an unusual sight welcomed buyers: white lime powder circles marked on the ground, almost a metre apart, in which they were expected
Outside a grocery shop in Modinagar, an unusual sight welcomed buyers: white lime powder circles marked on the ground, almost a metre apart, in which they were expected to stand and await their turn to progress into the next circle.
The markings were part of the Ghaziabad Police plan to ensure social distancing at local shops where many people would otherwise gather without maintaining any discipline. On Wednesday, the exercise was seemingly a success.
“Any customer who comes to the shop to buy items will remain standing in the circle and move ahead when it is their turn. This way there will be no gathering of people and they will not be able to come in contact with each other,” said Neeraj Kumar Jadaun, superintendent of police (rural). “The shopkeepers have also been told that no customer should be given items till they come with a mask or handkerchief over their mouth. We have also been able to persuade religious leaders to preach social distancing, and public announcements were also made from local mosques in Muradnagar in which local population was told about measures to be taken up against Covid-19 spread.”
In Loni, which is densely populated and has a large minority community population, the cops roped in services from the office bearers of Jamiat Ulama-i Hind.
“We have brought in our volunteers on cycles and made announcements over public address system. They are telling people about the need for hand washing, cleanliness and social distancing. We have also asked people to offer namaz at their homes and not come out in large gatherings. A total of 12 units our volunteers have been roped in Loni town and they will continue with announcements in coming days as well,” said Faizuddin Aarif, Loni general secretary of the organisation.
In other upscale areas of Indirapuram, residents floated idea of providing certain vendors temporary space in their highrise premises.
“With the help of local police-post incharge we have been able to rope in vegetable vendors for four highrises in Indirapuram and one housing society at Vasundhara. With this initiative, vendor will hold his stall inside the premises of the highrise and our residents will be getting fresh supply at their door steps,” said Alok Kumar, founder member of federation of association of apartment owners.
The association members roped in vegetable and fruit vendors from nearby Bihari Market area.
“We have also rolled out a time table for different days and different timings for 11 residential towers we have. In such a case, residents of different towers will arrive at different timings and will not gather around. The vendors on the other hand will have an assurance that their livelihood is not affected in present times,” said Deepak Kumar, president of the Amrapli Village apartment owners’ association.
Meanwhile, the caretaker of the Dudheshwar Nath temple in old Ghaziabad city offered to turn a temple hall into a quarantine ward.
“The hall is big and it also has installation of air conditioners. This hall can accommodate about 1,500 people during gatherings. Since the temple is now closed down due to the lockdown, we have written to the district officials that in case they need space, a quarantine ward can also be arranged inside the temple complex. Our temple committee is also ready to bear all the expenses for such facility,” said Mahant Narayan Giri, the caretaker of the temple.
