Coronavirus: Shutdown in J&K, Ladakh UTs till Mar 31
*16 Essential Services exempted during curbs
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 22: The Government today declared shutdown in entire Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir till March 31 during which only 16 essential services will be operational while the list of 75 districts identified for lockdown by the Central Government to prevent spread of Coronavirus included Leh and Kargil, the only two districts which comprised entire UT of Ladakh. The administration of Kargil declared lockdown in the district tonight till March 31.
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There was overwhelming response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for `Janata Curfew’ from 7 am to 9 pm today in entire Jammu region and the Union Territory of Ladakh where people confined themselves to houses, all markets remained shut, transport was off the roads and streets wore deserted look.
As the clock struck 5, the air reverberated with a medley of sounds from bells, conches and beating of metal plates, with people coming out in balconies, lawns and terrace of their homes to express appreciation for medical and other staff who are on the frontline of the battle against Coronavirus.
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Though the Central Government list of 75 districts ordered for lockdown comprised only Jammu and Srinagar districts of Jammu and Kashmir, where four COVID-19 positive patients have been reported so far, the Union Territory Government this evening ordered shutdown of all establishments and services except essential commodities/ services in entire J&K.
An official to this effect was issued this evening by Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam.
Subrahmanyam said to prevent spread of Coronavirus pandemic and break transmission chain of virus, it is necessary to enforce social distancing i.e. prevent/minimize close contact between people.
“In view of this, the District Magistrates will issue orders under Section 144 CrPC and Disaster Management Act to shutdown all establishments except those providing essential commodities/ services from 8 pm on March 22 to 6 pm till March 31,” the Chief Secretary said.
He added that all goods vehicles including those carrying essential items will be allowed to ply during the shutdown period with proper permits/passes issued by the district administration.
Subrahmanyam directed the district administration to make arrangements for the persons engaged in providing essential services to travel without hindrance to their place of work. He said the Deputy Commissioners will also restrict all assemblies at public places to not more than three people.
“The Divisional Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir divisions will monitor compliance,” the Chief Secretary’s order said.
And immediately after declaration of shutdown, Simrandeep Singh, Secretary to Government, Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs issued an order listing 16 essential services in Jammu and Kashmir.
Newspapers have been listed as among the essential services, the Government order said.
Other items listed as the essential services included supply of groceries, both wholesalers and retailers, fresh fruits and vegetables (Mandies & retailers), dispensing petrol/diesel at pumps, milk shops, dairies and related products, supply of cattle feed and fodder, medicines and other pharmaceuticals (retailers, wholesalers and manufacturing).
Banks and ATMs, supply of LPG, both domestic and commercial, health services including movement of staff, manufacturing of health and medical equipment, telecom operators and their designated agencies, Post Offices, loading and unloading of wheat and rice at FCI and State Food depots, transportation of essential commodities through National and State Highways (petrol, diesel kerosene, milk, vegetables, fruits, groceries, FCI supplies etc) and provision of electricity, water supply and Municipal and Sanitary Services including movement of their staff, also figured among the list of essential items declared by the Union Territory Government.
During the shutdown, people are required to stay at home and come out only to procure essential commodities for consumption (one person per vehicle), in the immediate vicinity of their homes. The staff of essential services’ departments and passengers coming out from and going to airport will be permitted to travel on production of air tickets.
Meanwhile, the Central Government has ordered lockdown in 75 districts where Coronavirus positive patients have been found. List of the 75 districts carried names of Jammu and Srinagar in the UT of J&K and Leh and Kargil which comprised entire Union Territory of Ladakh.
The administration of Kargil also declared lockdown in entire district tonight till 6 pm on March 31. An order to this effect was passed by District Magistrate Kargil Baseer-ul-Haq Choudhary.
The order said all educational institutions, Universities, shops, business, markets and establishments and inter-district and intra-district commercial transport/public transport except those authorized for essential purposes will remain closed in Kargil district. People will be required to stay at home and come out only to procure essential commodities that too one person per vehicle, the order said.
A total of 13 positive cases of Coronavirus have been reported so far in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Meanwhile, there was unprecedented response to `Janata Curfew’ call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 14 hours from 7 am to 9 pm today to fight Coronavirus threat, in entire Jammu region and the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Right from wee hours of this morning, all National Highways, major roads, City and outskirts and even district, tehsil and block headquarters, wore deserted look as people responding to Modi’s call didn’t come out of their houses. Only skeletal vehicles were seen on the roads as people affiliated with emergency services or in need of essential commodities only were seen on the roads and streets.
And response to the `Janata Curfew’ call was voluntarily in entire Jammu region with people staying indoors on their own.
Much before the `siren’ sound was heard at 5 pm, the people all across Jammu region were seen on their rooftops, balconies, terrace, lawns, outside gates and even roads blowing conch shells, bells, utensils and other things as asked by the Prime Minister as a mark of support to those fighting Coronavirus risking their lives.
This continued for 10 to 20 minutes at various places in the Cities, urban and semi-urban and even rural areas where people showed much enthusiasm and vowed to defeat Coronavirus on the call of the Prime Minister.
Reports from all 10 districts of Jammu region revealed very high response to ‘Janata Curfew’ call. Significantly, the ‘Janata Curfew’ remained peaceful in the entire Jammu region.
Except those involved in delivery of essential services, nobody came out of their homes even in remote and far-off places understanding the threat due to Coronavirus, reports from various district headquarters said.
“The people need to pay heed to the advisories issued by the administration from time to time for their safety. We will overcome this challenge when we stand united in the fight against this novel and deadly virus,” the people said.
Meanwhile, seven flights were cancelled at the Jammu airport today in view of the ‘Janata Curfew’.
These included four GoAir flights and one each of IndiGo, Vistara and SpiceJet.
“A total of 21 flights were scheduled to operate from the Jammu airport today (Sunday). While seven flights got cancelled, the rest of the flights operated between 8.30 am and 3.15 pm,” the AAI official said.
While GoAir had announced last week that it would voluntarily suspend all flights on March 22 when the country will observe the ‘Janata Curfew’, IndiGo had said it would operate only 60 per cent of its domestic flights.
Vistara had said it would operate a reduced number of flights.
Five of the cancelled flights were scheduled to operate along Delhi-Jammu-Delhi sector and one each on Mumbai-Jammu-Srinagar and Srinagar-Jammu-Srinagar sectors, the official said.
Meanwhile, grappling with 13 Coronavirus-positive cases, the Union Territory of Ladakh today came to a standstill with local residents staying indoors in response to the Prime Minister’s appeal to observe a ‘Janata curfew’.
Though no fresh case of COVID-19 was reported, a person with a travel history to the USA reached Leh by air in a “very bad condition” with suspected symptoms of COVID-19 and was admitted to a hospital.
Responding to Modi’s call, the resident stayed back at their homes to follow social distancing, as a result of which the roads across Ladakh including Drass, the second coldest inhabited place in the world, which is presently cut off due to heavy snowfall during winter, wore a deserted look.
There was complete shutdown in both Leh and Kargil districts including far-off areas,
The Ladakh is virtually under lockdown in view of the high number of Coronavirus cases. The Prime Minister’s call evoked complete response with the people voluntarily staying back at their homes in the entire Union Territory of Ladakh.
Reports said a person with the travel history to USA, reached Leh by air on Saturday in a “very bad condition” with suspected symptoms of COVID-19.
He was immediately shifted to a special ward in a hospital, an official said, adding the administration is trying to trace his co-passengers and has conveyed a message to them to ensure their home-quarantine for 14 days and ensure not to have any physical contact with family members as a preventive measure.
The official said a dermatologist, who was among 13 persons tested positive for COVID-19, had attended the OPDs at hospital and at a private clinic before his admission to the hospital.
“Therefore, all those patients who had visited the dermatologist on February 27 and 28 and March 3 at SNM Hospital and those who visited the private clinic from February 28 to March 4 are requested that they should not come in physical contact with others and to contact district hospitals in Leh and Kargil in case of any health related issues,” he said.
He made an appeal to the general public that no person should forcefully evict any labourer nor instigate any person not to rent out houses.
The official said nearly 1,800 people are under surveillance in Ladakh, about 250 under home quarantine and 92 under hospital quarantine, while 154 persons have completed 14-day quarantine period.
Leh District Magistrate Sachin Kumar Vaishya, meanwhile, warned of strict legal action against people found jumping quarantine period.
“All persons who are placed under mandatory home quarantine shall strictly confine themselves within the premises identified/prescribed/advised by the medical department. Any obstruction or refusal to comply with the direction shall be punishable under section 51 of Disaster Management act,” Vaishya said in his order.
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