After beating plates, MP govt to blow sirens to create awareness about Covid-19

The chief minister said the state government is going to introduce Sankalp Abhiyan from March 23 to ensure the use of mask and social distancing

Published on: Mar 22, 2021, 24:02:46 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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The Madhya Pradesh state government will blow a siren on March 23 after one year of beating thalis to make people aware of the surge in Covid-19 cases, said chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

After an increase in Covid-19 cases, the state government imposed a one–day lockdown on Sunday in three districts –Indore, Bhopal and Jabalpur. Schools and colleges will remain closed from March 21 to 31 in these three districts. (HT PHOTO.)

The chief minister said the state government is going to introduce Sankalp Abhiyan from March 23 to ensure the use of mask and social distancing. “On this day, a siren will be blown in every district at 11 AM and 7 PM and people will be requested to stop for 2 minutes to take a pledge of using masks and maintaining social distance,” said Chouhan.

He said masks and social distancing were the best way to contain the spread of the virus.

“Schools from classes 1 to 8 will remain closed in Madhya Pradesh amid a spurt in Covid-19 cases. In such an adverse condition, we can’t take the risk of opening schools,” said Chouhan.

Earlier, school education minister Inder Singh Parmar had announced the opening of schools from Classes 1 to 8 from April 1.

However, Congress took a jibe at the BJP-led state government for taking a non-serious decision to contain the spread.

Former minister and Congress MLA PC Sharma said, “The government is not serious about Covid-19 which resulted in a number of positive cases increasing again. By imposing night curfew and blowing a siren, they thought that the virus will be killed like they did last year by beating thalis.”

Instead of such an insane decision, they should come up with some serious steps to contain the spread of the virus, he added.

After an increase in Covid-19 cases, the state government imposed a one–day lockdown on Sunday in three districts –Indore, Bhopal and Jabalpur. Schools and colleges will remain closed from March 21 to 31 in these three districts. On Saturday, 1322 Covid-19 positive cases have been recorded in MP.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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