Movement curbs still in place at Delhi’s borders with Noida, Gurugram

The Gurugram police said that as many as 1,045 people were turned away from borders between 7am and 6pm on Monday.

While certain rules, part of the restrictions imposed across the country in the wake of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, were relaxed on Monday, Delhi’s interstate borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh remained almost sealed.

Heavy traffic at Delhi-Gurugram border during lockdown at NH-48 near Ambience Mall, in Gurugram. (Rahul Grover/HT Photo)

In Gurugram, over 1,000 travellers, expecting a relaxation in curbs in view of Lockdown 3.0, returned disappointed as police personnel restricted their entry to Delhi. Borders between the two cities were sealed last week and the entry of only those engaged in essential services, carrying valid passes, is allowed. Meanwhile, law enforcement officials kept a strict vigil at the Gautam Budh Nagar-Delhi border on Monday—only those carrying valid passes were allowed to enter and exit the district via the interstate border after thorough verification.

The Gurugram police said that as many as 1,045 people were turned away from borders between 7am and 6pm on Monday. They had said on Sunday that intra-district movement was allowed, but there would no movement between the national Capital and Gurugram, due to the rising number of cases in Delhi.

Karan Goel, the assistant commissioner of police (DLF), said that people had assumed that they would be allowed to cross the border as they had received emails from their employers to resume work, but they did not have passes. “People requested to be allowed as they had not received salaries for the last two months and if they did not report, would not be paid,” he said.

With 85 Covid-19 cases, Gurugram is on the Union government’s orange zone list. Its 11 borders with Delhi, which is a red zone, were sealed last week.

While the Union home ministry issued federal guidelines on Friday, states and local authorities can frame rules specific to them based on ground reality. Based on that, Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate (DM) Suhas LY tweeted the dos and don’ts of interstate travel on Sunday. “Restriction on interstate movement/interdistrict movement stands as before. No interstate/inter-district movement of personnel allowed for permitted activities also (except for previously allowed purpose like Covid-19 duty, emergency services, etc.) [sic],” he tweeted.

However, health workers on Covid-19 duty, media personnel with authorisation letters and policemen, among a few others, are exempt. “Most people who are aware of the regulations are not coming to the border. But there are a few exceptions. All restrictions on the movement at the interstate border with Delhi are in place as they were earlier,” Rajesh S, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), Gautam Budh Nagar district, said.