Noida & Ghaziabad border curbs to stay

NOIDA/GHAZIABAD: Noida and Ghaziabad on Wednesday decided to continue with curbs at the borders, a day after the UP government authorised them to take a decision in consultation with their respective health and police departments. Current movement restrictions between Delhi and the two cities will, therefore, continue.
Both the districts of Gautam Budh Nagar and the neighbouring Ghaziabad cited Delhi’s huge Covid case load to justify the border restrictions in a strategy meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah last month.
“We would continue with the existing arrangements. Motorists will not be allowed to move back and forth without valid reasons,” said Noida district magistrate, Suhas LY. Noida police have already deployed a large number of personnel at its borders with Delhi, particularly at DND Flyway and Kalindi Kunj.
On Tuesday, the UP chief secretary’s order stated that the administration, police and health department officials in Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad districts in NCR can decide what restrictions have to be imposed locally after deliberations.
In Ghaziabad, district magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey said that after due deliberations with the police and health departments, it has been decided that border restrictions will remain as before. “The state government has mandated us to take a call on whether to allow uninhibited movement to Delhi or not. In view of the rising cases, it has been decided that movement restrictions at the border with Delhi will remain,” he said.
While strict vigil was being maintained, relaxations were also offered in phases to allow interstate movement of doctors, health workers, lawyers, media persons, transporters among others. And onward June 5, the administrations in the two districts have been taking lenient view on the border movement and carrying out checks randomly.
As per the new order, between 8pm and 6am, Ghaziabad will remain under curfew and no movement except for essential services will be allowed. “In the district coming under Meerut zone, prohibitory orders will be in place between 8pm and 6am, while in other UP districts, movement will be barred between 10pm and 5am,” said Pandey. “Areas falling under containment zones will remain under lockdown as before till July 31.”
Worried about contracting the infection, Ghaziabad was the first to seal its border with Delhi and imposed strict restrictions on April 20 at all entry and exit points. Taking a cue, Noida also sealed the border the next day.
On June 18, Union home minister Amit Shah convened a meeting with the officials from Delhi-NCR, including Noida and Ghaziabad, and had asked for seamless movement across Delhi borders, saying that “restriction doesn’t look practical and it should be relaxed”. But the administrations of the twin districts have chosen not to give away any relaxations.