Chowk Bazaar in Bhopal on Sunday morning | FP Pic
Bhopal: It is total lock down in state capital on Sunday. Over 80 per cent petrol pumps are closed. Only one or two petrol pumps have been permitted to open in some areas. As per guidelines, Bhopal City Link Limited low floor buses are plying only on major routes. Otherwise, public transport has been suspended.
“It is complete lockdown as major markets like - New Market, Jumerati, Chowk Bazar are closed. Traders have come out in support of lockdown imposed by the state government. It shows the severity of Covid cases,” Thok Vyapar Mahasangh general secretary Anupam Agrawal said.
Ajay Singh, president of Petrol Pump Dealers’ Association, said, “Administration had demanded area wise list of petrol pumps. One or two petrol pumps are opened in different areas. Otherwise, 80 per cent petrol pumps are closed.”
City bus drivers’ association president Aziz Khan said one or two city buses are plying on major five to six routes for students. “About 12 buses are operational. Otherwise, public transport has been suspended,” he added.
People in Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur woke up to a quieteroutdoor and deserted streets on Sunday as the coronavirus-triggered lockdown came into force in these three cities of Madhya Pradesh.
In view of the spurt in coronavirus cases, the state government had on March 19 announced lockdown in these three cities every Sunday till further orders. Accordingly, the lockdown came into force at 10 pm on Saturday and will remain in force till 6 am on Monday.
A night curfew was already in place in Bhopal and Indore districts between 10 pm and 6 am since Wednesday. Due to the lockdown, the kiosks selling packaged milk as well as petrol pumps remained closed in Bhopal on Sunday. Only the local vendors were allowed make home delivery of milk till 10 am. However, chemist shops and hospitals were open.
This is after 196 days that a complete lockdown is in place in Bhopal again. But it is for the first time in the state capital that even petrol pumps, grocery shops, milk booths and vegetable markets are shut during the lockdown.
Last year, all these establishments and outlets used to operate during the lockdown. On Saturday, 345 infection cases were reported in Bhopal, which took its caseload to 46,728, while Indore saw 317 cases, where the tally rose to 63,827.
A total of 116 fresh virus cases were reported in Jabalpur, which pushed the total count to 17,464 last evening. Madhya Pradesh on Saturday reported1,308 COVID-19 cases, taking its tally to 2,74,405, while two deaths increased the toll to 3,903.
(With inputs from Agencies)
Aspirants undergo thermal screening as a precaution against Covid-19, as they arrive to appear for the MPPSC (Mains) exams, in Bhopal on Sunday | PTI Pic
