E-Paper
Chaos at Delhi-Ghaziabad border after sealing over Covid-19 cases
Covid-19 update: The order to seal all borders came after at least six people contracted the coronavirus disease, which according to health and district administration officials happened after some of them travelled to Delhi.
Hundreds of people, including those involved in essential services, were stuck on the border with Delhi on Tuesday after district magistrate of Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad issued an order to seal all borders to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Ajay Shankar Pandey had issued the direction late on Monday under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act prohibiting any travel between Ghaziabad and the national capital.
The order came after at least six people contracted the coronavirus disease, which according to health and district administration officials happened after some of them travelled to Delhi.
Doctors, transport workers and bankers were among those stuck on both sides of the border after the police refused to allow their entry or exit.
“I was headed home to Raj Nagar Extension in Ghaziabad after night duty from my hospital. I was stuck up at UP Gate border as the cops did not allow entry. From 8.30am to 11am, I was stuck like hundreds of other people in their vehicles,” a doctor from a Delhi government hospital designated as Covid-19 facility, said.
“The cops did not allow me entry despite I showed them my duty pass and my identification card,” the doctor added.
“Then I had to call up my contacts who contacted the Ghaziabad police and I was allowed to leave. But this all took me about three hours to enter into Ghaziabad. The cops even told me that I should stay in Delhi. I have more duties lined up on Wednesday and don’t know whether I will be able to attend these or not,” the doctor said.
Also read: What led to change in plan for relaxation of lockdown in UP
An employee of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) from Sanjay Nagar in Ghaziabad had to report for duty at 12.30pm on Tuesday and was headed to his depot at Sukhdev Vihar.
“I came to the Kaushambi border but the cops did not allow me to go to Delhi. I showed them my ID card and also my duty pass but they declined. I requested them but they did not allow,” Bishambhar Dayal, a conductor with DTC, said.
“I moved to UP Gate but the cops there too denied me passage to Delhi. So, I have informed my officers and went back home,” Dayal said.
A number of ambulances carrying patients also got delayed at the border.
A woman banker, who had to go to her office in Karol Bagh, said the police did not allow her entry into Delhi and she had to call up her colleague who took bank keys in order to open the branch.
This happened despite the district magistrate Monday night order said that “only people involved in essential supplies or valid pass holders will be allowed to move.”
Ghaziabad Police, on their part, said no one involved in essential services was stopped.
“People who are not attached to any essential services are not allowed to move to Delhi. There may be some minor hiccups but those attached to essential services are not being stopped,” Anshu Jain, circle officer of Indirapuram, said.
“We have also deployed the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) apart from civil police to maintain strict checks,” Jain said.
Hundreds of commuters travel between Delhi and Ghaziabad from UP-Gate, Anand-Vihar and Kaushambi and Loni border areas every day.
