Srinagar sees rush hour as restrictions ease

Azhar Qadri

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Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 1

A rare rush hour traffic — first since the lockdown prompted by Covid-19 was imposed — was witnessed in Srinagar on Monday as restrictions were significantly scaled down in most parts of the city.

Many parts of the city, including the Central Lal Chowk-Batamaloo stretch, which houses private and government offices as well as markets, faced traffic jams for the first time since the lockdown was imposed in March, as people took to their private vehicles to reach places of their work.

The stretch of the highway and the area around the western edge of the city also witnessed heavy volume of traffic, including convoys of security forces.

In a rare departure from the lockdown of the past nearly three months, shops selling mutton also opened in neighbourhoods of the city.

“It is the first time that I have opened the shop, there is a lot of scare about what to do and what not to do,” Abdul Qadir, a mutton seller in the Bemina neighbourhood, said.

The restrictions have been eased as part of the nationwide process that began from today and is scheduled to precipitate a gradual reopening of commercial and religious activities.

Shahid Chaudhary, the Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar, said, “review will be a constant process”and will be based on the inputs received from “experts and stakeholders as well as guidelines issued by the competent authorities”.

The official said the containment of the infection remained the “priority” but balancing with livelihood and economy was required.

He said 30 per cent essential shops such as grocery, fruit and vegetable shops, would be allowed to open “on pre-devised roster by market associations in consultation with zonal committees” with the exception of red and containment zones.