Coronavirus: 'Janata Curfew' gets good response in Punjab; story in pictures

Tribune News Service
Amritsar/Bathinda, March 22

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for 'Janata curfew' to prevent coronavirus spread evoked a good response on Sunday in Punjab.

Most of the towns and cities witnessed deserted streets with shops and business establishments closed to mark the pan-India solidarity.

Reports of the shutdown of shops and other establishments were received from the Congress-ruled Punjab's Ludhiana, Patiala, Amritsar, Bathinda and other places.

With state-run roadways shutting their services, buses were off the roads in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

However, the supply of milk was normal.

In Punjab, all establishments in Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur districts have been closed while the partial lockdown has been ordered in Jalandhar from 7 a.m. on March 22 up to midnight of March 25 by the government.

Likewise, it has also been advised to close down establishments in the Kapurthala district from March 23 as precautionary measures.

Factories engaged in production of essential items like flour mills, cattle feed, food processing and pharmaceuticals would not be closed by enforcing staggering of workers and other preventive safeguards.

Barely any devotees at Golden Temple

The footfall of devotees at the Golden Temple fell drastically as they observed the curfew. The SGPC had already announced its support for the shutdown.

Only a few staff members have been asked to continue working at the historic gurdwara and others have been granted leave.

The heritage street, leading to the Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh, wore a deserted look.

ISBT looked abandoned as buses services have been suspended.

All markets and commercial spaces were closed in the city. Most people abstained from moving out of their houses.

Barring the arrival of two long-distance trains, no train movement took place at the Amritsar Railway station.

The gates of the Durgiana Temple were also closed due to the curfew.

However, daily wagers and small vendors are already facing the heat of the shutdowns as their income came to a nought.

Hari Krishan Sahu, a daily wager, said he was unable to earn any money from the past four days.

A youth from Naushehra Dhalla village said he did not receive any job calls for past one week as traders told him that transactions came to a halt due to fears over coronavirus.

They demanded compensation from the government to support them and their families.

Complete shutdown in Bathinda

Almost all markets in the district witnessed a deserted look with shops and business establishments closed.

With all the buses and train services suspended, both the railway station and the bus stand wore a deserted look, while officials sanitized railway stations, trains and buses.

The residents kept indoors as a precautionary measure and all the major markets Dhobi Bazaar, Post office Bazaar, Sirki Bazaar, Amrik Singh road and others remained closed. Even some medicine and grocery shops remained closed on Sunday in the city.

Few residents who were roaming on the road were stopped by the police and told to go indoors.-With agencies