COVID-19: No one allowed to dig roads for sealing red zones in Srinagar voluntarily, say officials

DC Sgr says 45 entry points open in 15 red zones, emergency cases to get immediate help, essential supplies reach red zones under SOP, any road spots damaged to be repaired on priority after Covid fight is over

Srinagar: The district administration Srinagar has formulated a proper plan to ensure that emergency cases and supplies reach all red zone areas while as a proper Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been devised. As far the roads dug for sealing the areas falling under red zone category, officials in the Srinagar administration stated that roads damaged in the process of sealing will be repaired once the fight against COVID-19 pandemic is over and that at present “saving precious human lives was its utmost priority.”

Officials sources told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), no where in red zone areas of Srinagar, will be people allowed to seal entry or exit points as it was the primary responsibility of the administration and above all a team work that comprises nodal officers, police and tehsildars. “People are advised to refrain themselves from erecting barricades in the red zone areas. As far the roads that get damaged due to digging for sealing the roads, 400 km road stretch repair will cover all the roads that have been or will be dug in the coming days,” an official said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr Shahid Chaudhary, tweeted: “sustaining supplies important. Fruit and vegetable mandis and decentralized availability across city will be ensured under strict precautions. Police, SNC HP&M, PWD and ADM (Essential Services) worked out city-wide arrangements. Will address every single issue raised.”

Earlier, an official spokesman said that the COVID-19 containment zones in Srinagar have been sealed as per a comprehensive plan to ensure strict adherence to the SOP the government has notified for the purpose.

“While all entry-exit points of all areas declared as containment zones have been sealed at least half of these points in each one of these areas have been sealed with removable barriers. The latter adds up to a total of 45 points enabling access into and out of them as and when required,” the statement said.

In fact those entry-exit points which have been sealed with unremovable barricading also have left-out parts to enable movement of essential services and passage during times of medical or other critical emergencies. It is notable that there are a total of 15 areas as of now which have been declared as containment or red zones in Srinagar.

“These include Eidgah (with 1 entry-exit point sealed with removable barriers), Goripora (2), Nowshehra (2), Hawal (3), Ahmed Nagar (1), Lal Bazar (1), Hyderpora (1), Natipora (6), Jawahar Nagar (2), Chattabal (4), Bemina (4), Tengpora (2), Khayam (7), Nishat (4) and Lasjan (5),” the statement said.  “Seven of these fifteen areas declared as containment zones in fact just have removable barriers as a form of sealing.”

It should be noted that local mohalla committees of all these areas have been reached out to and are onboard administration’s efforts to contain spread of COVID-19 in their areas and out of them. Meanwhile the administration has put in place an elaborate and comprehensive mechanism in all these areas to ensure all requirements and needs of residents are covered for as long as these areas remain under restrictions.

“From provision of essential services to handling of emergencies to execution of surveillance activities — all kinds of requisites have been taken care of as part of this elaborate mechanism put in place in these areas,” the statement said. “Hundreds of officials have been deputed in these areas and concerned officers and departments made responsible for relevant facilities and requirements.

To ensure coordination joint control rooms with dedicated nodal officers have been established in each of these red zones.”

KNO