Chandigarh diary
Chandigarh may impose weekend lockdown
In an attempt to check the recent spike in Covid-19 cases, the Chandigarh Administration is mulling to impose weekend lockdown and curfew. Punjab governor VP Singh Badnore, who is also the administrator of Chandigarh, said during a war room meeting that there should be more vigorous screening, testing and stricter implementation of orders regarding social distancing and wearing of masks. He stressed that the Administration is considering a weekly or short period lockdown. He ordered immediate testing of 58 people detected through Aarogya Setu app and also home confinement and self-monitoring of 131 persons.
Corporation notice to illegal guest houses
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has issued a demolition notice to fifty new guest houses running in the city. The corporation has been identifying guest houses that are operating from residential areas in the new villages that have merged in the MC. Earlier, a report prepared last year has identified numerous violations in such guest houses including narrow lanes, unsafe structure, no fire safety equipment, no parking space, etc. Some of these were recommended for demolition. In October 2019, similar notices were served to 123 guest houses but several of them got a stay order from the HC. The MC has directed the owners to close shop within a month or face action. A majority of these guest houses are located in Burail, Attawa, Kajheri, Manimajra, Dadumajra and Maloya villages.
No large gatherings, physical press meet
The Chandigarh Administration has banned public gatherings in the city. The police have been directed to register cases under relevant sections of the law if any such gatherings are held. The administrator of Chandigarh VP Singh Badnore appealed to all political parties not to hold any gathering or function. The MHA guidelines only permit events like weddings and cremation as exceptional cases. Badnore also ordered a complete ban on physical press conferences, where there is a risk of infection due to large gatherings.
Gangajal in demand at city post offices
Gangajal – the holy water from Ganga - is selling like hotcakes in the post offices across the city. The devotees of Lord Shiva are buying the holy water to the puja in the auspicious Shravan month. At the General Post Office in Sector 17, a 250 ml bottle of Gangajal is being sold for Rs 30. People are buying 100 to 125 bottles daily. The Gangajal has been available for the past many years at the post office. However, the sale has picked up this year after the Kanwar Yatra was banned due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Every year the Uttarakhand Postal Service sends the holy water to all post offices across the country.
Harpreet Bajwa
Our correspondent in Chandigarh hsbajwa73@gmail.com