Telangana: Lockdown deja vu

Hyderabad: Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat — continue to report a surge in daily cases.

With India in the middle of the second wave of coronavirus, lockdowns in some States have become a necessity and that has started to again affect industries, especially the services sector.

The number of cases in Telangana are also increasing. Though Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Health Minister Eatala Rajender stated that there will be no lockdown, people still feel that the sword of Damocles continues to hang if the situation does not come under control.

Normally, everyone argues that lockdown would be a big blow to the small traders and the poorer sections. But interestingly when The Hans India tried to seek the opinion of different sections, it was found that the small traders like Praveen from Jharkhand who sells mobile accessories in Koti felt that "Agar jaan Bachane ke liye lockdown zaroori hai toh karna chahiye.

Pais toh phir aayega par jaan nahi," (To save life if need be, lockdown should be there. Money can be later but not life.)

Similarly, a juice vendor Vikas said, "lockdown se sirf Paise ka Nuqsan Hoga par Corona se Jaan ka Nuqsan hosakta hai. Jaan Hai tho Jahan Hai," (In case of lockdown earning will be affected but if affected with corona life will be lost).

On the other hand middle and top business class are opposing lockdown. On request of not revealing his name or business, a trader had said, "We had bared heavy losses during the last lockdown we were just overcoming from its impact.

We will be on the road if lockdown was imposed once again. A hardware shop owner replied that Covid-19 cases are increasing rapidly in GHMC and Medchal district. It would be better if people follow health protocols and see that a situation to impose lockdown does not come. Today the government says no lockdown but if CM decides they may have to impose lockdown and it would affect the businesses badly.

Director Public Health Dr G Srinivas Rao said Covid is no more new. Last year we had learnt how to be safe with the virus. Though there is an increase in the number of cases there is no need for lockdown. The chain can be easily broken if people co-operate and follow the norms such as wearing a facemask and maintain social distancing and keep washing hands.