SOPs violated at majority of vaccination sites
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, May 5: Despite lockdown in place and the movement of essential services allowed across Kashmir districts, different scenes were today witnessed on the roads with private vehicles seen plying in large numbers and no regard to SOPs observed across vaccination sites.
The rush of vehicles was witnessed at several places in Srinagar as well as in other districts and people were seen moving out for non-essentials despite knowing that the Corona curfew is imposed to restrict the movement to arrest further spread of COVID-19.
A policeman who was seen standing next to a barricade near Nowhatta area of Srinagar said that the majority of the movement which they have witnessed ever since the lockdown was imposed is non-essential and that people need to understand gravity of the situation and stay back home.
“While we have seen people with genuine issues moving out, there are those as well who move out without any emergency,” he said.
For the last few days, there is an increased rush of private vehicles on the roads despite lockdown which had earlier prompted the Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar to come out on road to enforce the lockdown, but the situation on roads is altogether different.
In Srinagar city, it appears that only the public transport and commercial activities have come to the halt and that the rest of the services are up and running.
“While it is not a law and order situation, we are trying to be as polite with the people as possible; and when we are harsh, then that also becomes news,” said another policeman.
Also, while the vaccination drive is on across J&K, people are seen moving out to reach their respective vaccination sites, adding to the already existing rush on the roads with people suggesting that the Govt should start community-based vaccination to keep a check on the movement of the public.
At the vaccination sites as well across Kashmir, people are seen throwing the SOPs to the wind. At several vaccination sites in Srinagar, while the vaccination was on, people were seen violating social distancing norms.
At a few vaccination sites such as one at SDH Hazratbal, vaccination as well as the COVID testing is carried out parallel at one spot exposing people who reach there for vaccination to greater risk.
“This is one centre, there can be many across Kashmir or Srinagar; it means we can be infected and we could be taking the infection along with us to our homes; while the public needs to take care of things, the Government is also supposed to play its role,” said Abdul Hameed, who decided to get vaccinated at some other site after witnessing rush at SDH Hazratbal.
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