E-Paper
Red, yellow, green: Zones may be coded to lift coronavirus curbs
Covid-19 update: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has indicated the restrictions will continue in some form to save lives through enforcement of social distancing but with some relaxations to resume economic activity and preserve livelihoods.
States across the country plan to divide their respective regions into red, yellow and green zones based on high, limited and no cases of Covid-19 for easing the lockdown imposed to check the pandemic and submit their plans to the Centre for framing a uniform policy for the next phase of curbs expected to start from Wednesday, multiple officials said on Sunday.
The national lockdown is due to end on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has indicated the restrictions will continue in some form to save lives through enforcement of social distancing but with some relaxations to resume economic activity and preserve livelihoods. National guidelines are expected on what activities can be allowed and areas to be exempted from the extended lockdown.
The officials cited above said they were working on details of activities that can be allowed in green and orange zones. To provide relief to migrant workers stranded in different states, the state governments are working on allowing operation of certain small and medium enterprises in green and orange zones. Carpenters, plumbers, and barbers are expected to be allowed to resume work but with social distancing norms in place.
There is a proposal to allow those factories to reopen, where employees work and stay with strict social distancing norms and proper sanitization.
“We cannot keep businesses shut and choke the economy. From lockdown, we can go to lock-in by having lesser people,” said a Maharashtra government official who did not want to be named. “It is not always a conveyor belt system in production and component processing can be segregated, while integration can happen in one place. All options are being studied.”
All states are likely to allow crop harvest from April 15. States like Punjab will provide on-farm procurement facilities while Madhya Pradesh is creating block level markets, where only 10 to 15 farmers will be allowed to sell their produce. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh plan to buy maximum produce from farmers through district authorities.
“Procurement of harvested crops will start at the local level for which special markets should be created,” said Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday told officials that farmers should be encouraged to sell their produce at their farms or villages and travels to markets should be minimized.
Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope the state could be divided into red, orange and green zones depending on the number of cases. Districts, where there are no cases, will come under the green zone, those with up to 15 cases will fall under the orange zone, and districts having over 15 cases under red zone, he said.
Tope said Mumbai city, Mumbai suburban, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Aurangabad, Pune, Sangli, Nashik, Ahmednagar and Raigad districts would fall under the red zone. Districts like Amravati, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Kolhapur, Satara, Osmanabad, Hingoli, Jalna, Washim, Beed, Dhule, Gondhiya and Yavatmal would be in yellow zones and the rest in green.
A final decision will be taken after the Centre’s advisory, a state government official said.
In Rajasthan, a task force has suggested withdrawal of the lockdown in a phased manner with districts having no Covid-19 cases being exempted first. The 12-member task force, headed by additional chief secretary DB Gupta, submitted a report to chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday.
“Lockdown should not be withdrawn in one go, but in phases based on the number of cases geographically,” said an official familiar with the matter. The panel had recommended four categories–high risk, medium risk, low risk and districts with no cases.
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur announced the state will be divided into a red zone, four orange and green zones and a final exit plan will be initiated when the coronavirus curve flattens. He added the red zone will be completed isolated from the rest of the state but essential goods would be allowed. Thakur said all horticultural activities will be allowed in orange and green zones but inter-state travel will remain banned for some time.
In Karnataka, around 14,000 fishermen from the state’s coastal districts resumed fishing, officials said on Sunday.
Representatives of most states on Saturday agreed to extend the lockdown till April end and suggested easing of lockdown norms in districts having no Covid-19 cases with strict inter-district travel restrictions during a video conference with Modi.
(With inputs from state bureaus)
