Vijayawada: Lockdown partially eased, denizens heave sigh of relief

Vijayawada: Denizens heaved a sigh of relief with easing of Section 144 restrictions in Vijayawada for seven hours from 6 am to 1 pm and they came out to purchase vegetables, groceries and other essential commodities on Thursday. Traders opened the shops and sold the commodities. Interestingly, most people started using facial masks or covering their faces with handkerchiefs in view of the spreading of coronavirus in the state and the threat of the coronavirus looms large in the city.

Most of the grocery shops, medical shops and small super markets were opened in the city on the fourth day of the lockdown announced by state and central governments. At the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium Rythu Bazaar, several hundred people purchased vegetables.

Compared to Wednesday, the number of consumers was less at the IGMC stadium. The VMC has made a demarcation with limestone to maintain a distance of four feet between each consumer in the queues. The VMC faced criticism on poor maintenance of Rythu Bazaar on Wednesday as thousands of consumers stood in queue lines closely to purchase vegetables. Moreover, the crowd was huge as people thronged to buy more vegetables and fruits to celebrate Ugadi festival. Consumers purchased vegetables that can be sufficient for three or more days. Interestingly people are getting awareness on maintaining social distance to save themselves from coronavirus.

With spreading of news that Corona cases on the rise across the world, now people are seriously thinking the impact of Coronavirus and taking precautions. The Vijayawada Municipal corporation has stepped up the sanitary measures in the city and increased spraying of sodium hypochloride, a disinfectant in the city. The civic body has printed pamphlets and distributed them among the people to take preventive measures to check the spread of coronavirus.

Municipal Corporation Commissioner Prasanna Venkatesh reviewed the lockdown and measures taken by the VMC to keep the city clean and maintain hygiene. He warned that spitting on the roads and public places was prohibited in the city and Rs 1000 penalty will be collected for violation of rules.