TIRUCHY: Disturbed with the barricading of streets to combat the spread of coronavirus with no exit points, the residents within the containment zones are removing the barricade as they are facing difficulty in accessing the essential items. The district administration and the Tiruchy City Corporation consider this as the best strategy to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Earlier, the police personnel were deputed at the entrance of the containment zones so that the residents abide by the containment zone regulation. However, nowadays the police are no more camped outside the containment zones and the residents are removing the barricades as they consider it unnecessary.
Talking about the removal of barricade by the locals, a resident of the Krisnamurthy Nagar said, "When a street comes under the containment zones without any exit point, the residents are under huge stress. The officials should provide exit points so that the residents can come out for any emergency. The Corporation can deploy an official or police personnel at the exit points in order to ensure the containment zones guidelines are followed. But the officials are looking into these issues."
However, District Collector S Sivarasu said, "When a street is placed under containment zone, the authorities assign responsibility to three officials -- police, a health and a sanitation official. The residents can get in touch or vice-versa." Even the corporation is also claiming that the officials are in touch with the residents in containment zones to ensure unhindered supply of essentials.
However, the residents in the containment zones dismissed these claims. For instance, the corporation had barricaded a small stretch of NMK colony on August 19 since the area had three Covid positive cases. The civic body would lift the regulation at this street behind its Ponmalai zonal office this week. But, the residents have already removed the barricade to move out of the containment zone. A resident said that the corporation officials have not given any contact numbers and they justified the unlocking of the street.