COVID-19 lockdown: Odisha allows dhabas, garages to operate along highways

Odisha government, besides intensifying implementation of social distancing in its fight against COVID-19, has decided that dhabas (eateries) and gars jacent to state and national highways will remain open during lockdown. This has been done to facilitate seamless movement of essential goods and keep supply chain intact, an official said on Thursday.

People transporting goods will be able to have food and repair ir vehicles if dhabas and gars are open, he explained. 21-day nationwide lockdown began on Wednesday. According to official, state government has alrey issued a letter to all district collectors and superintendents of police (SPs) in this connection.

nationwide lockdown to combat COVID-19 is extremely critical for stopping disease from spreing. "However, during this period of lockdown, provisioning of essential commodities will be very important to ensure that people remain indoors and do t panic, letter said.

Apart from eateries and gars, auto spare part shops will also remain open to facilitate smooth movement of vehicles carrying essential goods on state and national highways, letter said, ding, distance between shops on roside will be at least 20 km.

government has also directed district collectors to grant permission accordingly through civil supply officers and regional transport officers and also directed SPs to personally ensure that re is problem in transportation of essential commodities. government in its order also me it clear that goods vehicles carrying essential, n-essential or even empty shall be stopped by police.

passes are required for any goods vehicles across Odisha including Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Highway patrolling will ensure that re is congregation in any ''dhabas'', letter said. All vehicles transporting goods can ply uninterruptedly for free flow of essential items such as rice, dal, sugar, salt and vegetables in state, governments chief COVID-19 spokesperson, Subroto Bagchi, said.

Meanwhile, state government requested Centre to ensure seamless movement of goods (essential and n- essential) from one state to ar during lockdown period. state government has also asked all urban local bodies to shift vegetable markets to open places to maintain social distancing among buyers.

Odishas biggest vegetable market at Unit-I in Bhubaneswar has been shifted to a ground of a local high school. police and or officials across state, in a bid to ensure social distancing at grocery shops and vegetable markets, asked people to stand inside equidistant circles drawn on ros and move towards shops in an orderly manner.

Commissioner of Police of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack, Dr Sudhanshu Sarangi, also encourd people to follow mechanism to make social distancing effective for combating COVID-19 menace. I have received many requests from people offering to work as volunteers. Our immediate need: Go to a nearby shop, draw circles at five feet distance from each or to make customers queue up. Take a photo with queue, tag us & tweet. Let your good work be an infection, he tweeted.

unique method to maintain social distancing by drawing circles near shops was followed in many areas, including Bhubaneswar, Ganjam, Balasore, Cuttack and Khurda, reports from districts said.

In many places, shopkeepers and vendors and even common people were seen showing self-discipline by following practice. Meanwhile, Odisha Police has registered as many as 149 cases in different parts of Odisha for violation of regulations and guidelines laid down for containing spre of COVID-19 since Wednesday, a senior police officer said.

At least 37 cases have been registered for violation of nationwide lockdown imposed to curb spre of COVID-19, while five cases were slapped for flouting home quarantine rules. Seven or cases have been registered on or issues related to COVID-19, he ded. 

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