Prayagraj: Cops rope in religious heads in fight against coronavirus

PRAYAGRAJ: Police have roped in religious heads, members of peace committees and prominent citizens to ensure Prayagraj residents stay indoors and strictly follow the rules of lockdown enforced in view of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
While the cases of violation of lockdown norms continued to rise in the city as well as trans-Gang and trans-Yamuna localities, police claimed to have intensified route march across the city and also stepped up strict vigil around wholesale vegetable and grocery markets to main social distancing norms strictly during the lockdown on Wednesday.
Over two dozen persons were arrested by police in the city in past 24 hours.
Police also created WhatsApp groups for different thanas adding religious heads, peace committee members and prominent citizens of Old City localities as members in their bid to ensure that people stay indoors during the 21-day lockdown, which has been enforced to check the spread of novel coronavirus.
Police booked 43 persons in the past 24 hours for allegedly violating rules of lockdown. On Wednesday, 25 persons were arrested and 12 FIRs were lodged under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with violations of section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code.
Barricades around 185 crossings and intersections in the district were put up to regulate non-essential traffic movement.
SSP (Prayagraj) Satyarth Anirudh Pankaj said, “About a dozen FIRs were registered in different parts of the city like Naini, Jhunsi, Nawabganj, Civil Lines, Mutthignaj, Colonelganj, and Ghurpur in the past 24 hours and 25 persons were arrested.”
The SSP added that police checked over 6,883 vehicles and challaned 1,248 of them. The police had also seized nine vehicles as well.
On Wednesday, police intensified patrolling on all seven inter district border area and completely sealed inter-district borders after putting a three- tier barricading system. Additional mobile police pickets were also deployed at seven inter-district border areas.
With the help of drones, police also maintained a surveillance in narrow pockets in old city area. They also checked whether citizens who came out for important work were practising social distancing.
In Pratapgarh, a group of people sprinkled rose petals on policemen and sanitary workers near Chilbila area when they were going to perform their duties.
Meanwhile, members of Allahabad chemists and druggists association led by its president Anil Dubey handed over surgical equipment like PPE kits, gloves and N95 masks to district authorities on Wednesday.