Lockdown curbs eased to allow transportation of all goods; borders sealed to check migrant movements

As an unprecedented nationwide lockdown to combat COVID-19 entered its 5th day, the government on Sunday eased some restrictions to allow transportation of all essential and non-essential goods but ordered effective sealing of all state and district borders to check movement of migrant workers.

The Union Home Ministry also allowed use of premises of the state disaster response force (SDRF) to shelter migrant workers and the homeless stranded due to the lockdown imposed to combat COVID-19 and said those having already left the city of their work be put in 14-day quarantine at their destinations.

While the central and state governments urged people to stay put where they are, the exodus of migrant workers from big cities continued unabated, desperate to return to their villages after being left jobless and many of them without food or shelter.

They also urged industrial and commercial establishments not to sack people or cut their salaries due to the lockdown, while landlords in several states were asked not to insist on asking for rent during this period.

The Delhi Police Commissioner instructed his personnel to disallow migrant workers from moving out of the city by enhancing picket deployment and stopping buses going outside Delhi.

Cases of people violating lockdown were also reported from various parts of the country, including in the national capital, with many being asked to return home by police and some even getting detained.

In Delhi alone, police received over 1,100 calls since Saturday on its 24-hour helpline dedicated to addressing queries related to the lockdown. These calls were related to complaints of no food and money, as also about medical issues and movement passes.

Several people said they were out to get household supplies or for emergencies, while some areas including in the national capital reported lack of some food items such as atta and meat products, though milk, vegetables and several other common grocery items were found to be available though long queues could be seen outside the shops.

Some cases continued to emerge of people reporting others of violating the lockdown restrictions, including of people involved in essential services.

The coronavirus scare also appeared to be taking a toll on the poultry industry in Karnataka with many poultry farm owners culling the birds, insiders in the poultry industry said. At least one lakh birds have been culled in the last one week, they said.

In a letter to chief secretaries of all states and union territories, the union home secretary Ajay Bhalla said transportation of all goods, without distinction of essential and non-essential, have been allowed.

The Indian Railways also decided to run special parcel van trains to ensure uninterrupted flow of essential commodities.

The suspension of passenger trains from March 22 had also meant that parcel vans attached to them carrying perishable items, mostly daily essential needs like vegetables, dairy items and fish, had got suspended by default.

The resumption of special parcel van trains is also expected to help e-commerce companies who can now ferry their products on these vans.

The home secretary also made it clear that the newspaper delivery supply chain is allowed under exemptions given for print media.

Bhalla added that the entire supply chain of milk collection and distribution, including its packing material, has also been allowed during the lockdown period, along with groceries.

"Groceries, including hygiene products such as hand wash, soaps, disinfectants, body wash, shampoos, surface cleaners, detergents and tissue papers, toothpaste/oral care, sanitary pads and diapers, battery cells, chargers etc," are permitted during the lockdown.

Services of the Indian Red Cross Society and of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) have also been exempted.

The government also constituted 11 empowered groups to suggest measures to ramp up healthcare, put the economy back on track and reduce misery of people as quickly as possible post 21-day lockdown imposed on March 24 to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh said cargo flights will be used exclusively for transporting medical equipment and emergency goods, besides other essential items to the northeastern states.

In West Bengal, an app was launched to allow people to order fish online from a government agency to tackle rising prices amid the lockdown.

A Group of Ministers chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation arising out of coronavirus pandemic including treatment of affected people and supplies of petroleum products and essential commodities across the country.

According to sources, the GoM discussed that any issue arising locally is being resolved.

Oil marketing companies also allayed fears of consumers, saying there is absolutely no shortage of any fuel, especially cooking gas, which is being supplied to customers at their doorsteps.

On average, the daily supply of cooking gas has gone up by at least 35-40 per cent since the lockdown, in spite of working with minimal staff, the companies said.

India is among the several countries where lockdowns have been announced in full or parts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic with more than 40 per cent of the world population said to be currently facing confinement measures.

Major political parties including the BJP and the Congress asked their cadre to help those in need during the lockdown period, while a number of NGOs, religious bodies, corporates and individuals also came forward to provide food and other essentials to the needy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 'Mann Ki Baat' radio broadcast, sought the nation's forgiveness for the hardships caused by the stringent nationwide lockdown, saying it was necessary because the country was fighting a battle between life and death.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said if the lockdown is not followed, the country will fail to contain the coronavirus outbreak, as he assured migrant workers that his government has made food and boarding arrangements for them.

Addressing a digital press conference here, the chief minister said the mantra to make the 21-day nationwide lockdown successful was to "stay where you are" just as Prime Minister Modi had requested.

A number of film and TV stars also took to Twitter to share how they are doing during the lockdown, while some of them also pledged support to the relief funds.

Image Credits: ANI