Coronavirus: Free-flow of traffic in Hyderabad despite lockdown

No lockdown is being followed by the people especially in Hyderabad as the roads witnessed traffic like any other normal day in Khairatabad. Motorists poured on to the roads in large numbers defying the lockdown rules making the job of police deployed on the roads more challenging.

While a few entered on to the streets to grab some essential commodities, many of them were seen wandering in the streets without any bona fide reason. On Tuesday, shopkeepers in Bowenpally were fined from Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 for not maintaining social distancing while delivering the commodities to the customers.

Traffic police put up barricades in the streets restricting the entry of people on roads but in vain. Despite stringent norms issued by the government, people were seen coming on roads with no proper reason. Cyberabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar warned the public that criminal cases will be booked against persons if they are seen without any reason on the streets. He said that the person can get up to one-year imprisonment for violating GO 45.

Even after the lockdown, the state is witnessing a rise in the coronavirus positive cases. Currently, there are around 93 coronavirus positive cases in Telangana including eight deaths while several foreign returnees are under home quarantine.

The lockdown began with a one-day Janata Curfew announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prevent the spread of coronavirus. However, it is later extended to April 14 after the corona positive cases spiked in the country. The lockdown included all the factories, markets, shops and places of worship. Public transportation suspended and construction work halted as the centre asked the people to stay indoors during the lockdown period.

So far, the country has more than 1,700 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including 51 deaths.