CHENNAI: As the clock ticks towards zero hour, Chennai and its adjoining districts will switch to an intense 12-day lockdown from Friday. The rationale behind Tamil Nadu government’s decision on Tuesday to put the lock back on Chennai, Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur and Kancheeuram, which had enjoyed easing of curbs for a few days, is to check the spread of coronavirus in other parts of Tamil Nadu and the neighbouring states.
While the penultimate day saw more crowd on the roads, with people doing last-minute shopping for essentials and queuing up at checkposts to leave the hotspot zones that may seem like a fortress till June 30, the Chennai police has made elaborate arrangements to curb unnecessary movement of people and vehicles. A total of 17,000 police personnel will be deployed for this purpose, with the possibility of adding more officers if required.
As a starter, the arterial Anna Salai and Kamraj Salai , besides a number of other key roads in the city, will remain closed, except for ambulance services.Disclosing this to newspersons, Police Commissioner A K Viswanathan said vehicles seen roaming unnecessarily will be seized. He requested people to cooperate with the police and asked them to buy all essential commodities within a two-km radius from their house and avoid using vehicles.
“This is an extraordinary situation...the lockdown announced by the chief minister is aimed at protecting the people of Chennai and elsewhere, and they should also cooperate. Only this will help us come out of this (situation). We are losing precious lives,” he added.
While only autos and cabs plying to and from railway stations and airport will be given special passes, government employees, health workers, Corporation staff and journalists have been asked to carry their identity cards while commuting to work. People who travel across the Chennai city police limits for work are advised to stay on the side they have to work.
Viswanathan said the Chennai police have set up 288 check-posts and will use drones to monitor movement. He said the police will slap cases against people forging e-passes and those found roaming around without masks.
A day after a police officer succumbed to Covid, Viswanathan informed the media that 788 police personnel had so far tested positive and more than 300 of them had recovered and returned to active duty. At present, he said, 39 were recovering in hospitals, while others have been quarantined at their homes or Corporation care centres.