CHENNAI: Old habits die hard. If you hoped that the deadly coronavirus would instill discipline on our otherwise crowded and chaotic streets, be ready to rethink. Almost four months after social distancing became Plan-A in the global fight against COVID-19, the practice is still poorly enforced in several places across city thanks to practical and personal reasons.
The problem is graver in resettlement colonies in the city where a lack of adequate space coupled with poor enforcement of social distancing keep the residents 'together'. On Saturday, as many as 75 residents stood in a serpentine queue before a PDS shop at Kannagi Nagar resettlement site.
Maintaining distance was the last thing in the minds of the people there as they anxiously waited to stock up essentials. "Several items like kerosene are difficult to get from this shop even during normal times. When they announced another lockdown, we decided to stock up things as early as possible," said Padma Sankari, a resident of Kannagi Nagar.
There were no markings or other guiding structures installed to ensure social distance outside the ration shop. "Police came and warned us couple of times. Then people maintained an arm’s distance from each other for a brief period. All fell back to a swarm a few minutes later," Padma said.
Outdoor games a daily affair
The difficulty of confining oneself to small and congested indoors overtakes the fear of contracting the viral infection in Perumbakkam. And parents are finding it tough to keep their children from going out and playing on streets.
"Kids play outside because the houses here are very small and we can’t expect them to stay inside the whole day. They get frustrated if you ask them to do so," said Mary A, a resident of Perumbakkam.
Forget children, youth are also being lured to the streets to kill time. Playing carrom has emerged as one of the favourite pastime of many during the lockdown. However, some people are wary about the risks involved. "We try to discourage them from playing, but it doesn’t work," said a 65-year-old resident of Block 6 in Ezhil Nagar.
'In the beginning of the lockdown people were more careful. Now, as days pass by, they are going back to old routines," he added. Some residents, however, blamed the nature of planning and construction of the resettlement sites, for the problem. "It is not possible to maintain social distancing in congested areas," they said.
Protest sans prudence
In the Navalur resettlement site, around 50 residents took to the road a few days ago to stage a protest against the "uneven" distribution of relief materials by a private party. They protesters stood together for around an hour without maintaining social distance before the police and officials persuaded them to go back to their homes.
When contacted, an official of the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) said awareness was being created by the Board’s staff every day. "We will address specific issues like playing in the corridors from tomorrow," a senior official said.