BHOPAL: The administration looked stricter this time on the first day of the two-day, weekend lockdown that started on Saturday. This was the first weekend lockdown after the graded unlock began. This practice will continue for the time being to control the Covid situation.
On Saturday, the police were checking vehicles in the city amid the weekend lockdown that has been imposed in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the picnic spots, police were deployed to check people. During the lockdown, at the Bhadbhada checkpoint, a strong police force was deployed to stop people from visiting various picnic sites, such as Kaliyasot dam and Kerwa dam. Similarly, people were prevented from visiting Boat Club at the Upper Lake by a heavy police contingent deployed at CM House on the road that leads to Boat Club. But the people were so desperate to have a day out on the weekend that they even drove through rocky patches and forested areas to avoid the strict checks at the checkpoints.
In the city, too, the police have enforced a complete weekend lockdown. According to the guidelines, only pharmaceutical shops are allowed to function during the lockdown. But the vaccination programme carried on in full swing and the teams involved in vaccination were allowed free movement.
During the normal lockdown months, the traders used to operate their businesses with half their shutters down. But, this weekend, such practice was not much in evidence. Not only the shops on the main roads, but the shops in colonies, too, were not allowed to open. It shows that the administration has maintained strictness in controlling the spread of corona.
Almost all the roads were barricaded to check public movement. Except essential services, all business establishments were closed. The police handed challans to people moving around without any valid reason during the lockdown. In addition to the rotes to the picnic spots, the police were deployed at prominent points at MP Nagar to prevent public movement.
In the Old City, which usually poses challenges for the police during lockdown, things remained peaceful as the police were deployed in every nook and cranny to keep a strict check on peopleís movement.
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