Sunday lockdown returns in 3 districts of MP after 7 months amid Covid-19 surge
MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the lockdown has been imposed to curb the infection cycle as it would be effective for 30 hours considering that night curfew is already there in these districts.
The Madhya Pradesh government on Friday announced a complete lockdown every Sunday for the three most affected districts- Indore, Bhopal and Jabalpur, where the Covid-19 positivity rate is as high as 5%, an officer of the home department said.
In Madhya Pradesh, 21,000 Covid-19 tests were conducted on Thursday. 1140 positive cases have been recorded on Friday and the positivity rate has increased to 5.5%. (HT PHOTO.)
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The Sunday lockdown returned after seven months. Earlier, the state government had imposed a lockdown every Sunday in August.
MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the lockdown has been imposed to curb the infection cycle as it would be effective for 30 hours considering that night curfew is already there in these districts.
“The lockdown will also help us to tell people about the seriousness of the second Covid-19 wave and create awareness about wearing masks and social distancing,” the CM said.
“There will be complete lockdown in these three districts from 10 pm on Saturday to 6 am on Monday. Factories and industries will remain operational on Sunday. The movement of people will be allowed for railway stations, airports and hospitals. Students will be allowed to appear in competitive exams as MP PSC Mains exam are scheduled to be held from Sunday,” said Rajesh Rajora, additional chief secretary home department.
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An order issued by the home department said that all schools and colleges will be closed till March 31 in these three districts.
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An order issued by the home department said that all schools and colleges will be closed till March 31 in these three districts.
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The decision of lockdown was taken by Chouhan at a review meeting held on Friday evening.
Additional Chief Secretary Mohammad Suleman said that 21,000 Covid-19 tests were conducted on Thursday. 1140 positive cases have been recorded on Friday and the positivity rate has increased to 5.5%.
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.
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