Stricter implementation of lockdown rules in Containment zones in Bengal

Kolkata,05 May(HS): As the COVID-19 death toll in West Bengal has touched the figure of 61 last evening with a similar number of (61) people also getting affected in one day by the killer disease to take  their total number to 1,259, the state government has decided to take stringent action against all violation of lockdown rules under the Disaster Management Act to bring the situation under control.

According to state Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, following the sudden surge in the number of those affected in several districts the government after considering all factors had decided to increase the number of Containment Zones within some areas of not only in Red Zone but also in Orange Zone districts as well with immediate effect in an all-out bid to contain the spread of the disease further.

Accordingly, he said of the total 516 Containment Zones in the state, the maximum 318 were situated within the Kolkata Municipal areas alone. followed by  81 in North 24 Parganas district,74 in Howrah, 9 in East Midnapore, 5 in West Midnapore, 3 in Malda and two each in Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts, all of which had been brought under the worst affected Red Zone by the Health Ministry.

These apart the Chief Secretary said  as many as 18 Containment Zones were declared in Hooghly district, followed by 3 in Nadia and two in West Burdwan district even as all of which presently fall under Orange zone.

We have issued the full list of all these Containment zones in the official Website of Kolkata and West Bengal police, Sinha said and made it clear that all information in this regard were being updated  on a regular basis and as and when required to help enable the people to know where they resided within these Containment zones or not.

Elaborating the rules within these Containment zones, the Chief Secretary informed that unlike in Green Zones, no relaxation in terms of even small business activities would be allowed in any of these areas. All steps would continue to be taken to strictly follow the lockdown rules in all these areas until further improvement of the situation, he said.

Moreover, no major business activity would be allowed anywhere and no Shopping mall, Hawkers Corner,Market complex and even roadside businesses would be allowed to open  anywhere in the state  even including in Green Zones, the Chief Secretary stated.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal Private Bus Owners Association has refused to run their bus services  in Green zones after the government lifted the ban partially in selected districts.

Reiterating that running of services with only 20 passengers at a time would not  only incur huge losses for them in terms of buying of diesels and paying the employees,but would also creat confusion and anger among the people for not getting their chances to board the bus  even if there were empty seats after carrying 20 passengers each, they stayed away from reopening their services till today. We are aware of their concern, the Chief Secretary said and promised to look into the issue for an amicable redressal.

Meanwhile, all arrangements have been made  at Howrah, Durgapur , Kharagpur and Asansol stations in the state to welcome about 3,000 migrant labourers who are scheduled to arrive  there in two special trains from   Ajmer Sharia in Rajasthan and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala by tomorrow evening.

After conducting a thermal screening of all passengers who would get down in these stations, would be sent to two weeks of compulsory quarantine, the Chief Secretary informed and said proper arrangements of  their food would also be made during the next two weeks before they were sent home by government buses.