Manohar Lal Khattar, the Haryana Chief Minister had taken the decision to seal the State’s border with Delhi and the movement of people was stopped except in important cases to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The action was taken to curb the increase of Covid-19 positive cases in Haryana that are linked with the residents’ travel to Delhi.
In his address on Wednesday, Mr. Khattar said that there was a need to swallow the “bitter pill” as 28 cases in four districts neighbouring Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Jhajjar and Sonipat were traced back to Delhi over the past six days.
It was found that these people were either working in Delhi or were their family members, friends or relatives.
Faridabad had sealed the five entry and exit points from and to Delhi on Wednesday itself, prohibiting the entry of all commuters, including essential workers, until May 3.
It is believed that Gurugram is likely to follow a similar plan soon. Gurugram’s chief coordinator for Covid-19 activities, VS Kundu, said that “Maybe from Thursday night or Friday morning, Gurugram borders will be sealed.”
People who entered Delhi from Faridabad on Wednesday were informed that they would not be allowed to return. People working in Delhi were asked to make arrangements to live near their workplaces and will not be allowed to move in and out of the district.
The ban is meant to stay till the weekend, according to the order issued by Faridabad’s deputy commission Yashpal Yadav, and no person including doctors, nurses and banking staff, were allowed to enter Faridabad starting 12pm on Wednesday.
Barricades were set up at all traffic junctions and residential areas of Faridabad. The police deployed 5,000 personnel at 103 checkpoints and at least 35 each at nine locations that border Delhi, Palwal and Gurugram.
Although the Haryana CM assured that the essential commodities vehicles carrying vegetables and milk were permitted, the supplies in the capital seems to be hit. According to Azadpur market traders, the volume of arrivals in the market on Wednesday dropped by a third of the average daily arrivals over the past week.
The market accounts for roughly 80% of vegetable and fruit supply in the city, with farmers arriving from UP, Rajasthan and Haryana most of whom need to cross Faridabad or Gurugram.
Delhi Police made arrangements for over 600 of its personnel from Faridabad to stay at hotels in Delhi, while the Delhi administration began making similar provisions for civic and health care staff. The sealing is also likely to hit industries in Gurugram that were scheduled to resume shortly.
