Complete lockdown for 14 days likely from end of July in Nagpur

Nagpur: With Covid-19 cases rising in Nagpur, district guardian minister Nitin Raut and state home minister Anil Deshmukh, in a meeting with Nagpur Municipal Corporation and Nagpur city police, have agreed that a complete lockdown with total curfew can break the chain.

Though no date has been finalized yet, a 14-day complete lockdown with total curfew is likely to be imposed in the city probably from the last week of July as agreed upon by all ministers and officials present at the meeting.

Leaders of opposition parties were not invited for the meeting. NCP MLC Prakash Gajbhiye and Shiv Sena MP from Ramtek were the other netas present at the meeting.

Nitin raut told sources that municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe and commissioner of police Bhushan Kumar Upadhyay will finalize the date of the lockdown. Raut admitted that city police was not effectively implementing lockdown guidelines as done in initial stages and issued specific instructions to strictly implement the same.

In a press statement, Mundhe said lockdown may be the last option to break the corona chain. “But if the people of Nagpur follow self-discipline, it is possible to curb coronavirus spread,” he said.

According to Mundhe, the number of patients in Nagpur city has increased after the relaxation in the lockdown under ‘Mission Begin Again’.

Office-bearers of the trade association have also offered to form their own task force and help the NMC to control crowding in market areas.

The civic chief also held a meeting with traders’ association at NMC headquarters. He urged them to help the NMC in its determined efforts to break the chain of the virus. “If we work together, we can break the chain of coronavirus by August 15,” he said.