VIJAYAWADA: Even as Day One of partial curfew was enforced smoothly, the closure of borders with neighbouring States, particularly with Telangana, led to stranding of vehicles at the inter-state checkposts with police preventing those coming from other districts after 12 noon.
Hundreds of vehicles, including APSRTC and TSRTC buses, were stopped from entering AP borders at Garikapadu checkpost with the State enforcing partial curfew from 12 noon to 6 am. With no option left, majority of vehicles returned to their origination points while RTC buses went to nearby bus depots.
Krishna district police intercepted all the vehicles entering the State via Kodad, Khammam and Hyderabad after 12 noon and told commuters to come before the stipulated time to avoid being stuck at the checkpost. Mild tension prevailed at the checkpost for some time with the commuters entering into a heated argument with police manning the checkpost citing that they were unaware of the partial curfew and they should be allowed to enter AP.
“We will not allow any vehicle after 12 noon. We will implement the curfew strictly which is intended to break the chain and bend the Covid curve. We request people not to violate rules and suffer by being stranded at the State border,” said Krishna district SP M Ravindranath Babu.
With the spike in Covid-19 cases, the State government imposed a 14-day partial curfew from 12 noon to 6 am. Shops will be open only from 6 am to 12 noon and Section 144 will be in force during the relaxation time. Only emergency services will be allowed to function during the curfew. “Any individual, venturing out after 12 noon, needs to carry valid documents failing which he will be stopped and a case will be registered under the Epidemic Diseases Act and Disaster Management Act,” the SP explained.
The same is the situation at all the five inter-state border checkposts in the district. “The public are requested to plan their travel according to the restrictions and enter into the Andhra border before 12 noon,” the SP added. Meanwhile, the first day curfew saw huge rush at prominent shopping places in Vijayawada and other cities in the initial hours. Though the closing time is 12 noon, the shops remained open even after the stipulated time. From 1 pm, the roads wore a deserted look.
Vijayawada City Police Commissioner Bathini Sreenivasulu, who inspected the implementation of curfew at Bandar Road, saw people still roaming on roads and asked them to go home. “This is the time where we have to play our part responsibly by keeping ourselves and the society safe,” he said and warned of registering cases against violators.In Nellore and Chittoor, which share borders with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, vehicles carrying essentials, emergency services from other States and also people with proper documents issued by local authorities were allowed to enter AP.
Meanwhile, commuters chose alternative routes for crossing the border in the two districts. The state highways between Palamaner-Gudiyattam, Chittoor-Tiruttani and Chittoor-Vellore, always bustle with inter-state transportation. People from border areas will import and export essentials and also vegetables from Tamil Nadu to Chittoor. The Cuddalore highway which passes through Chittoor and Vellore is considered vital in view of the medical emergencies rushing to Christian Medical College at Vellore.
Gudiyattam and Vellore roads are used frequently by the rural people from both sides of the border.
Following the imposition of curfew, police arranged checkposts at Tada in Nellore and also in Chittoor to prevent the entry of people without having proper documents. Medical and police teams had conducted tests at Gandrajupalli, Naraharipeta and Chekkalbailu checkposts in Chittoor.
Meanwhile, Odisha closed its borders with Andhra Pradesh in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts as it had imposed complete lockdown there. Odisha authorities are conducting Covid tests for their citizens at the border checkposts and allowing those who got negative report with 14-days institutional quarantine.