COVID-19: Chennai Corporation doubles zonal enforcement teams to implement strict lockdown

Shops continuously violating COVID norms must be sealed and fines must be levied on individuals not wearing masks and following social distancing at public places, said the Corporation Commissioner

Chennai cops check motorists on GST road and seize the vehicles plying without proper reasons as lockdown is underway on Friday. (Photo | Ashwin Prasath, EPS)

CHENNAI: To implement lockdown measures strictly, the Chennai Corporation has doubled its zonal enforcement teams from 15 to 30.

According to a statement from the civic body, each of the 15 zones will now have two enforcement teams consisting of officials from the civic body, police and revenue.

Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi, in a meeting held on Thursday, had said the zonal teams’ duty will be to go on rounds in their respective zones.

“They will have to take action on individuals and business enterprises which do not follow government COVID protocols,” he said.

He added that shops which continuously violate COVID norms must be sealed and fines must be levied on individuals not wearing masks and following social distancing at public places.

Meanwhile, the civic body announced that it has collected Rs 1.34 crore as fine for COVID-19 violations since April 9.

A total of Rs 21 lakh were collected by the zonal enforcement teams alone, since May 6.