People of Nagpur follow not too strict weekend lockdown Policemen guarding a lane in a market area. (Pic by Satish Raut) Principal Correspondent : The administration did not enfore it strictly but people in Nagpur responded to the call given by it for first weekend day lockdown on Saturday with full support. It was a complete lockdown that was imposed after a gap of three weeks. It will continue on Sunday too. Some restrictions of lockdown were eased in the beginning of June last. After that people had taken liberty and kept violating the norms of social distancing. Crowding the shops not wearing masks spitting on the road all became the usual scene. As far as social distancing is concerned people behaved as per their whims and fancies. Even after the instructions by the authority about carrying parcel home and not standing near the shops went on deaf ears. To the appeals by the administrators healthworkers leaders of following rules people did not respond leading it to surge in coronavirus cases in Nagpur district. Nearly two months ago Nagpur rural had maintained less number of new COVID-19 cases less number of deaths. But the gap has reduced drastically. People kept coming on road thronging shops purchasing all the necessary and unnecessary items violating all social distancing norms. But on Saturday on the first day of weekend days lockdown people responded in a positive manner. People had brought the shutter down of the shops. Some grocery shops pharmacies were open without much crowd. The response came so administration too did not apply any force as the necessary traffic movement continued on road. Ring road Umred road Bada Tajabad Dighori small lanes in Bidipeth Ajni Samarth Nagar Gajanan Nagar Narendra Nagar behind FCI godown Navjivan colony Khamla Jaiprakash Nagar Dharampeth whole of the Civil Lines area Sitabuldi market area Mahal Itwari all Modi lanes Gokulpeth Shivaji Nagar Gandhi Nagar Ravi Nagar Ram Nagar Shankar Nagar Bajaj Nagar Abhyankar Nagar Laxmi Nagar Indora Jaripatka Gittikhadan Pratap Nagar Deonagar Ramdaspeth Dhantoli Mehadia square Pachpaoli Raj Nagar Mankapur Shanti Nagar Wardhman Nagar Lakadganj Bagadganj Central Avenue Sakkardara everywhere shops were closed. On Saturday morning and evening Mayor Dayashankar Tiwari and Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B along with their teams visited most parts of city. The response of people in Nagpur was total. The act would be repeated on Sunday. It remains to be seen how would people respond. Police had kept barricades at several points in the city. They stopped some people in a periodic manner. Not every person was stopped and enquired. The genuine people did not have any problem but police warned those roaming unnecessarily. Almost all the markets remained closed as per the order. People did not have any option than to remain at home. The road-side eating joints tea-vendors were absent everywhere. Tukadoji Putala Bidipeth Wanjari Nagar Medical square Hanuman Nagar Siraspeth Dighori Sakkardara square Reshimbag square Mahal main road Tilak Putla Zenda chowk Garoba Maidan Wardhman Nagar Lakadganj Satranjipura Shanti Nagar Gandhibag Itwari Khamla Shankar Nagar Dharampeth West High Court road Ram Nagar Gokulpeth Ganeshpeth Badkas chowk Ayachit Mandir Nandanvan square Jagnade square Telephone Exchange square Kelibag road Pachpaoli Kamal Chowk Jaripatka Indora Kadbi Chowk Sadar Residency road Anjuman Complex Bajaj Nagar Abhyankar Nagar Ajni Sitabuldi Main road Dhantoli Yashwant Stadium Motibag Railway Station road Jhansi Rani Square Panchsheel Square Variety square Chhatrapati square Deonagar Pratap Nagar Mominpura Bajeria Fawara chowk Agrasen Chowk Trimurti Nagar Jaitala Swawlambi Nagar Gopal Nagar Gandhi Nagar and other localities of Nagpur witnessed emptiness all over. Some people expressed unhappiness over the lockdown. Lockdown or curfew is not the permanent solutions. Longer lockdowns may hamper financial condition in general. Most people felt the economy is already in deep trouble against that backdrop bringing down the shutters on the prime days of week is not a wise decision. Almost all the markets remained closed as per the order. The medicine shops small grocery shops hospitals small dispensaries clinics and other essential services were allowed to operate. There was not very strict policing.

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