Hyderabad: Whither social distancing?

Hyderabad: The unusual discipline showed all these days by the citizens during lockdown seems to have wilted as the days drag on, and one wonders if cops have gone soft on people coming onto roads frequently.

People are coming out as they would on any normal day. Many of them claim to purchase medicines. A wandering two-wheeler rider at Vijayanagar Colony said he was visiting pharmacies as he could not get all the medicines prescribed by the doctor.

A middle aged woman Savitramma said that someone had told her that rice and other essential commodities were being given to white ration card holders at Komatkunta near Old City.

To her shock, there was no such thing and she had to go empty handed.

The social distancing was not seen at the government fair price shops as people line up at shops, standing close to one another. Police were not around to warn them.

A cop said that people were giving lame excuses, claiming to be on way to medicines, ration etc. At times there are three people on a two-wheeler.

Despite police seizing vehicles coming onto the roads, it is not unnerving the enthusiast with no valid cause. The police also find that since more grocery shops are being open, people are coming out often on that excuse.

With still 11 days for the lockdown to end, citizens growing wary of the adventurous people want the authorities to take more precautionary measures and come down hard on such people and enforce social distancing.

"We have to act before the situation gets worse," said K Deepak, a TDP leader from Jambagh.