Now, Kashmir lockdown extends to parks, gardens
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, March 16
A preventive lockdown aimed at scuttling the spread of coronavirus widened in Kashmir Valley, as the administration in Srinagar has ordered the shutdown of parks and gardens on Monday.
The lockdown of dozens of parks and gardens in the city was ordered by the district administration, which said the shutdown would be in place till further orders.
“All parks and gardens in Srinagar will remain closed till further notice. Cooperation of people in implementing precautionary measures is appreciated,” said Shahid Chaudhary, Srinagar Deputy Commissioner.
The latest shutdown will affect dozens of parks and Mughal-era gardens, which were prepared to host thousands of visitors, mainly local, on the arrival of a spring bloom.
Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattu said all municipal and floriculture parks in the municipal limits were being sealed for sterilisation. He said the sterilisation process continued in the city as markets in several areas were sanitised.
The Mayor said the bank branches and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) remained a “focus areas” of sterilisation process.
The Srinagar Municipal Corporation has initiated a series of precautionary measures in the last week to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which has spread across countries and has been designated as a global pandemic.
The measures include regular spraying of sodium hypochlorite at vulnerable locations such as hospitals and marketplaces as well as government offices. Gyms, sports and recreational clubs, swimming pools and Srinagar’s famous Sunday flea market have also been closed.
So far, there is no confirmed case of Covid-19 in Kashmir Valley even as hundreds of people, who showed symptoms, were quarantined in Jammu and Kashmir.
The threat of Covid-19 has caused panic, as people are seen buying facial masks and hand sanitisers and the administration is making repeated appeals to not hoard such items.
The administration had last week ordered a shutdown of schools, colleges and universities across Jammu and Kashmir till the end of this month and urged people to avoid unnecessary travel and use of public transport.
