Maharashtra takes it slow: Curbs may stay in Mumbai, other red zones

Read| Maharashtra recovery rate up to 43.3%, past national average

Keen to avoid a new flare-up of cases, the state has plans to permit standalone shops to remain open only on two or three days of the week for now. As part of the state’s soon-to-be released revised lockdown guidelines, sources said that people will be advised to restrict shopping to neighbourhood shops and avoid travelling to distant market places.

The Union Home Ministry on Saturday, while issuing guidelines for Lockdown 5.0, announced considering easing of restrictions outside of containment zones. Under the new guidelines, it has permitted offices, industries and shops in non-containment zones across India to function from 9 am to 5 pm daily. However, it also gave states the “freedom to not open them or put suitable restrictions if they deem it necessary for the containment of corona outbreak.”

Read| Inside Dharavi

With the suburban rail unlikely to resume in the immediate future, the first phase of Maharashtra’s own unlock plan for Mumbai does not involve permitting private offices to open. If anything, offices, for now, will only be allowed to call skeletal staff for general upkeep and emergency operations. The rest will be encouraged to continue working from home.

At the epicentre of coronavirus infections in India, Mumbai has so far reported 38.220 cases and 1,227 deaths. While trade associations and industry bodies have been lobbying for reopening of the city’s economy, sources confirmed that the Uddhav Thackeray-led coalition government continues to be wary of a surge of cases after reopening, and so has adopted a slower and a multi-phased approach of lifting curbs on economic activity. Earlier this week, the Federation of Associations of Maharashtra, a traders’ body representing 781 trader associations, had approached Thackeray seeking the opening of both retail and wholesale shops for at least some days of the week.

Acceding to the request, sources said the government has planned phased resumption of markets areas and shops except for malls and market complexes in all the 19 red zones including Mumbai. A senior official said, “The plan being considered for now is to permit market areas and shops to operate at the level of 33 per cent shops.”

Read| Spitting, smoking in public now punishable offences in Maharashtra

While the local bodies will have the freedom to decide the required arrangements, the government is expected to insist on a couple of options in this regard. This including permitting shops on either side on the road or lane to open on alternate days, or grouping shops in various two or three categories to be open three or two days a week respectively.

“This approach allows us to stagger the crowds and avoid overcrowding,” the official added.

While the Centre has also permitted temples, shrines, hotels, restaurants, and malls to reopen after June 8, sources in the Maharashtra government said that a decision on these would be taken after reviewing the infection graph after the initial reopenings.