States, Chandigarh Administration must team up to stop contagion

Is rejection of UT's lockdown proposal by Punjab, Haryana justified?

Residents must support ut’s plan

It’s surprising to see huge rush at public places in Chandigarh. Loads of people throng Sukhna Lake, Rose Garden and other spots particularly during weekends increasing threat of spreading Covid-19. Many visitors avoid wearing face masks and do not follow social distancing norms. Although the Administrations and healthcare workers of the UT, Mohali and Panchkula are putting in their best possible efforts to contain the spread of pandemic, the number of Covid positive patients are increasing day by day in the tricity. It’s duty of all residents to take ample precautions to keep ourselves and others also safe from the deadly disease and helping in breaking its chain of spread. Punjab and Haryana must support the UT Administration’s proposal to impose weekend lockdown.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

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Weekend lockdown serves no purpose

A weekend lockdown for a short duration of two to three days serves no purpose. It has to be clearly understood that unless we isolate an infected person for 14 days, they will continue to infect others. That is the nature of the Covid-19 virus. The fight against Covid-19 cannot be won on perceptions. Hard decisions need to be taken. Lockdowns, serve only limited purpose. The Administration needs to step-up confidence building measures and ensure that the public does not live under panic. Moreover, the tricity comprises nuclear families, and bachelors. Weekends are meant for purchasing essentials and household items. So, weekend lockdowns are unwelcome.

Rajiv Boolchand Jain, Zirakpur

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Implement safety measures sternly

Instead of putting too much emphasis on Saturday and Sunday lockdown, the UT Administration should focus on implementing precautionary measures with a stern hand. People can be seen commuting or roaming in markets without mask or observing social distance. Even in housing complexes, people of all ages move/play without any precautions. Punjab and Haryana have rightly disagreed with the UT to impose weekend lockdown as common man as well as governments will have to bear financial losses.

KC Rana, Chandigarh

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Night curfew not enough

As we know that Covid cases in the tricity have seen a steep rise. It has become even more difficult to stem the spread of coronavirus. A night curfew alone is not enough. The UT Administration and Punjab and Haryana Governments should collaborate and ponder over imposing a total curfew on weekends.

Priyam Aggarwal, Chandigarh

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Turning down UT’s proposal is right

Imposing curfew on weekends in the tricity will be counterproductive as it will create more problems for daily wagers apart from loss to already economy, which is in doldrums. It is better to take precautions like maintaining social distance ‘2 gaj ki duri’, wear masks and sanitise hands. These three preventive steps should be taken till we completely get rid of Covid-19. Governments of Punjab and Haryana are justified in turning down UT’s request for imposing curfew on the weekends.

Col TBS Bedi (retd), Mohali

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Follow guidelines or face penalty

Many people from the tricity work in Punjab and Haryana and stay there. They come home at weekends. If weekend curfew is imposed, it would become difficult for them to come home. When the government has opened everything, the weekend curfew is not a good option. There should be strict checking and fine should be imposed on shops, in residential areas and public places if Covid guidelines are not followed. People should realise their responsibility by taking precautions and step out of their homes only if necessary. Otherwise they should be ready to face penalty.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

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Curfew not a solution to rising cases

Weekend curfew is not a solution to rising Covid cases. Punjab and Haryana were right in rejecting the proposal of the UT Administration of imposing lockdown from Friday to Monday in the tricity. When experts have highlighted that lockdowns just delay the spread of virus rather than prevent it, why is the administration so hell bent on implementing it? How many cases do you think can be avoided with two days of the lockdown.

Sikander Singh, Chandigarh

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Daily wagers will lose work

Though the city is witnessing an alarming spike in coronavirus cases, the imposition of lockdown from Friday till Monday will only complicate the matter. Many daily wagers will again lose work and money. Instead, people roaming in parks, streets and markets without masks and not maintaining social distancing norms should be caught and issued Rs5,000 challan. Only then virus cases will drop in the tricity.

RK Kapoor, Chandigarh

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An exercise in futility

The UT Administration should study the Delhi model and follow it in letter and in spirit to bring coronavirus cases under control. Asking Punjab and Haryana to cooperate in enforcing the lockdown on weekends to achieve this aim will only inconvenience residents of the tricity. Limited period lockdown has hardly shown any positive impact. Therefore, it will be an exercise in futility.

SC Luthra, Chandigarh

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Impose curfew for 15 days

Residents of the tricity have to decide whether life is important than business or pleasure? Nothing is precious than life. People are openly violating the Covid-19 norms. They not care two hoots for precautions. The only way out is imposing 15 days curfew. We all have to swallow a bitter pill to stop the virus. Punjab and Haryana Governments should have acted responsibly. Even now, it is not too late to cooperate with the UT Administration and go for 15 days curfew.

Capt Amar Jeet Kumar (retd), Mohali

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Act or situation will go out of hand

The tricity should have gone ahead with curfew from Friday to Monday as during the weekend majority of people make unnecessary travel plans on one pretext or the other. Sixty cases on an average every day are result of relaxations. Still there is time to act. Otherwise, it would be impossible to contain the pandemic. Even Punjab and Haryana should impose weekend lockdown in Mohali and Panchkula to control the soaring Covid-19 cases.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi, Chandigarh

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Campaign on how to cope with pandemic

Instead of imposing curfew and making people fearful and stressed, the government should campaign on “How to live in pandemic,” keeping in mind precautions and leaving behind myths spread on the social media. Educate people and don’t make them dumb.

Ruchi Bhutani, Mohali

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Curfew inevitable in tricity

Not to speak of some irresponsible individuals, even the state authorities are oblivious to signals from the surge in Covid cases. Still, Haryana and Punjab did not agree to the weekend curfew in the tricity. This apathy means losing control of the situation. As weekends see rush of residents at public places with self-regulation failing there is no alternative to total weekend curfew like curbs. Mohali and Panchkula must fall in line with Chandigarh for complete curbs on weekends and holidays.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

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Joint efforts Need of the hour

Lack of coordination and cooperation between the authorities is hindering development and economic growth in the tricity. People working in one part of the tricity reside in other. Moreover, most contract infection at home or work place. Joint efforts by the Administrations in the tricity and the public can only help in fighting the pandemic. To interrupt the chain of virus transmission, stricter lockdown over weekends permitting industrial activities should be imposed in the tricity.

Col Balbir Mathauda (retd), Chandigarh

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Best proposal, but not accepted

The proposal of the Chandigarh Administration to impose weekend lockdown was the best. Punjab and Haryana Governments should have accepted it. No doubt, it would cause financial loss to traders/vendors, but here the quote “Health is wealth” applies. Even now, the state governments should accept this proposal. If they don’t, the UT Administration should implement it in Chandigarh.

Balbir Singh Batra, Mohali

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Punjab, Haryana must support UT

Everyone knows that a mistake is a mistake. The Chandigarh Administration took risk by giving relaxations in the lockdown. The authorities can control Covid with strict law and order. Now, the virus is spreading fast. Punjab and Haryana should support and cooperate with the Chandigarh Administration and implement weekend curfew in the tricity for the welfare of the people.

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali

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Let law take its own course

Lockdown on Saturdays and Sundays in the tricity is must. The best of persuasions and warnings have cut no ice with the people, who find pleasures in violating rules. They are incorrigible. It is a tried truth that a rod tames all. When the people do not understand that they are their own enemies, the law has to take its course and teach them to follow rules. Otherwise, Covid cases will continue to multiply day the day. The Administrations of Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula should come down heavily on the people, who move in groups without wearing masks and do not maintain distance. Otherwise, things might go beyond control.

Bhavdeep Bedi, Mohali

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Will have adverse affect on economy

While India is moving towards opening various other services like gyms, multiplexes etc in the Unlock 3, imposing weekend curfew in the tricity is not favoured. The purpose, effects/achievements of the lockdown are visible since March when the whole economy, businesses, activities and institutions came to standstill. Things are coming back on track slowly and the weekend curfew will affect it adversely. A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what a vessel is built for. The need is to ensure that people take due precautions, venture out only when absolute necessary and maintain social distance.

Sukhwinder Singh Bedi, Mohali

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lockdow seems Rational approach

Keeping in view the mammoth growth of Covid cases, the Administration proposed to impose weekend curfew in the UT. Obviously, curfew in Chandigarh will not be effective unless its simultaneously imposed in Mohali and Punchkula. Time is appropriate for the government to strictly implement the law and save lives.

Anita Tandon, Kharar

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Many have lost their livelihood

The Haryana and Punjab Governments were justified on their stand because lockdown/curfew has shattered lives and livelihood of the common people. No government agencies came to their aid despite tall claims. What purpose will the weekend curfew solve? All these are futile exercises with no positive results. Our nation was under the lockdown/curfew for more than three months, but where India is heading in Covid-19 cases? If three months lockdown bore no result what will be the outcome of the weekend curfew? Can the Administration explain?

Gurpreet Malhotra, Chandigarh

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Preparedness to combat virus missing

Haryana and Punjab are not at all justified in turning down the UT’s proposal for the weekend curfew. Their wilfulness shows only their obstinacy to show themselves as independent thinkers and self-reliant decision-makers. They have no accountability even in the face of the grim fact that their irrational stance has resulted in the tricity reporting 60 to 65 Covid cases every day. Confusion in tackling pandemic prevailed from the beginning when various lockdowns without any comprehensive plan and inputs from states and UTs were enforced at the national level. Above all, anticipating the spread of the deadly virus and foreseeing its peak to ensure all-round preparedness to combat it effectively at each stage is totally missing.

Dr SS Bhatti, Chandigarh

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Not easy to stop movement of people

If Punjab and Haryana do not support UT’s proposal for the weekend curfew, it will not in the interest of neighbouring cities. It is not easy to stop movement of people from Mohali and Panchkula to Chandigarh. Porous borders of the three cities cannot be sealed effectively, which defeats the purpose of curfew/lockdown. Immediate action is required to check rising Covid cases in the tricity.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma, Chandigarh

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Fines, FIRs against violators

Punjab and Haryana reached a consensus that the weekend curfew was not pragmatic to prevent the spread of virus. It would be disastrous for the economy and lead to unemployment and many more problems. It will not help break chain and arrest the sudden rise in Covid cases. Rather, non-compliance of the safety protocol has led to surge in coronavirus cases. The authorities must ensure effective implementation of safety norms. Surveillance and strict measures, including spot fines and even FIRs against violators of safety norms, is the need of the hour. Public participation will stem the spread of contagion.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

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Lockdown in UT won’t help

Children of many residents of Mohali and Panchkula study in schools, colleges and university in Chandigarh. They visit PGI, GMSH-16 and GMCH-32 for treatment. They have relatives and friends in Chandigarh, whom they visit quite often. Being aware of these facts Governments of Punjab and Haryana should have agreed to the UT’s weekend lockdown proposal. The weekend lockdown only in Chandigarh would not be effective. The Governments of Punjab and Haryana are obliged to cooperate with the Chandigarh Administration.

Dr Gurdev Singh, Mohali

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Authorities in Tricity must cooperate

Although the tricity is governed by different authorities, they are interdependent in many ways. Therefore, officials must take decisions keeping in view collective interests of residents. If we take a bird’s eye view on Covid cases, doubtlessly the authorities have not been able to check the spike effectively. Discredit goes to the public for misusing relaxations. More restrictions have to be imposed. The Punjab and Haryana Governments should have given consent to UT’s proposal of the weekend curfew in the interest of the tricity residents.

Surinder Paul Wadhwa, Mohali

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Strict precautions, no weekend lockdown

Punjab and Haryana are justified in turning down the UT proposal for the weekend curfew in Chandigarh. It would have not served any extra purpose. Need of the hour is strict implementation of precautionary measures by the UT Administration. Follow strict quarantine rules for active cases, wear proper mask, observe social distance and use hand sanitisers. Such precautions are openly flouted in shops, public places and parties. Defaulters must be punished there and then.

Colonel RD Singh (retd), Ambala

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Weekend curfew must in tricity

There is no exaggeration in confessing that the tricity has witnessed an unprecedented spurt in Covid-19 cases. The decision of the UT Administration to clamp weekend curfew is indeed the need of the hour. It was an unwise and unwarranted decision on the part of Punjab and Haryana Governments to disagree with the UT’s proposal to impose weekend curfew in the tricity. ‘It’s never too late’. The age-old axiom reaffirms our abiding belief in the saying. The ruling dispensations should give a final nod to the proposal without further avoidable loss of time and pre-empt the chances of community spread of the pandemic.

Ramesh K Dhiman, Chandigarh

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QUESTION

With those seeking alms at traffic light points and markets having the potential of spreading Covid-19, what preventive measures can the tricity authorities and residents take for safety?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to [email protected]