While the roads in Chennai wore a deserted look on Sunday due to the full-scale shutdown, the City Police Commissioner A.K.Viswanathan has requested public cooperation to enforce the lockdown properly till June 30.
From Saturday evening, the police were more focussed on creating awareness about the lockdown. While robots were used for this purpose in some areas, the Greater Chennai Corporation officials and police also went around the city in autorickshaws and asked people to stay indoors.
The State government had announced complete lockdown from June 19 to June 30. However grocery and vegetables shops are allowed to function from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m on all days except Sundays.
“On the two Sundays, June 21 and 28, no shops will be allowed to function except pharmacies. People also co-operated in most of the areas as they did not venture out,” said a senior police officer.
Speaking to mediapersons on Sunday morning outside Flower Bazaar police station, Mr. Viswanathan, said that all senior police officers were patrolling the city. He said that public address system was being used to request people not to come out.
“There was a good response on Sunday and this should continue throughout the lockdown. We need cooperation from the public for this. It may be difficult for now, but if we bear the restrictions for a few days there are chances that things will return to normalcy. The police are your friends and we are implementing the lockdown strictly for the benefit of the people,” he said.
Robots and public address system to create awareness
In Mylapore, the police used a robot at Luz Junction to create awareness about COVID-19 and the lockdown. “It went around playing the pre-recorded announcement. Besides the CCTV camera fitted to the device also recorded movement of vehicles,” said Mylapore inspector Senthil Murugan.
In North Chennai, which usually presents a crowded picture, the roads were empty. Kapil Kumar C. Saratkar, joint commissioner of police, north, said that the roads were deserted and people came out for medical needs alone.
“That too they were allowed to go only to the nearest pharmacy. Besides, we created awareness making announcements using patrol vehicles, autorickshaws and public address systems,” he explained.
Better enforced lockdown, say RWAs
Many Residents Welfare Association said that unlike the previous lockdown, the people were more disciplined this time.
“There is more awareness. There were a lot of policemen going around making announcements and asking people to stay indoors,” said K.Viswanathan, secretary, Mylapore Residents Welfare Association.
V. Rajagopal, Anna Nagar West Extension Phase II residents welfare association, said that the solar eclipse also kept people indoors. “This time the police are also very strict. Many people have been fined for flouting violations. This time the lockdown will have some result,” he said.
Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram
The important markets including the one in Thirumazhisai, with 200 shops, remained shut on Sunday. “We seized 100 vehicles that flouted the lockdown,” said P. Aravindan, SP, Tiruvallur.
B. Shamoondeswari, SP, Kancheepuram, said that the full-scale lockdown was being strictly enforced in her district too and vehicles of violators were being seized.
