Offices, markets shut; transport off roads as Bengal enforces complete lockdown

Kolkata: Bengal has altogether witnessed a completely different scene on the first day of the bi-weekly lockdown on Thursday with offices, shops and markets remaining shut besides vehicles remaining off the roads under the strict vigil of the state administration and police.

Policemen were on duty since morning imposing stern lockdown across the state besides carrying out surveillance using drones to ensure that no one even gathers inside narrow lanes and bylanes violating the set protocols.

There was naka-checking at all strategic and crucial locations. Most importantly, police pickets were posted at entry and exit points of every district including Kolkata. However, the state administration along with local authorities have given more emphasis on imposing lockdown in the districts — Kolkata, Howrah, North and South 24-Parganas — with high prevalence of the virus there.

Taking a stand of "zero tolerance", at least 2,335 people across the state have been arrested for violating the lockdown norms and 68 FIRs registered in this connection while 28 vehicles were seized for operating without any valid reason. In Kolkata, at least 886 people were arrested while 30 vehicles were prosecuted.

Despite spreading awareness for the past two days, the police visited market places in all the districts in both North and South Bengal since morning to give a surety check. Immediate steps were taken if shops were found open.

Besides a strong vigil on the movement of vehicles, the police also took legal steps against those who were found not wearing masks and spitting on the road. As many as 552 people were prosecuted in Kolkata for not using masks and 40 for spitting in public places. At all the naka-points including the one on Howrah Bridge, police checked identity cards and valid entry/exit passes of every vehicle.

A senior officer of the state police said: "We have not left any stone unturned to ensure a successful lockdown on Thursday and similar steps will be taken on Saturday and next Wednesday."

According to experts, the state government has selected one weekday and another during the weekend to impose the bi-weekly lockdown in a very scientific format following a data-analysis based study and its positive outcome will come to the surface when the number of COVID-19 cases go down in the next week or so.

The number of deaths in the past 24 hours amounted to 34 on Thursday while the number of total Covid positive cases so far logged 51,757. At least 31,656 patients have recovered from the virus so far.

Amidst the lockdown, around 78 flights operated to and from Kolkata airport while eight were cancelled "due to clubbing of some flights". Similarly, around four trains entered Howrah Station and one at Sealdah. Though most had made their own arrangements to reach home, a section of people faced inconvenience after reaching Kolkata due to lack of transport facilities. However, the state Transport department operated a set of buses to help them as special services were arranged from the airport and Howrah and Sealdah stations respectively.

However, the essential services, in-field jobs in agriculture and tea garden, factories and construction work with on-site labour, e-commerce and home delivery of cooked food continued uninterrupted.