Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 27: Life remained affected for the eighth straight day on Monday due to lockdown imposed by the administration following spike in the COVID-19 positive cases in the Kashmir valley.
However, the lockdown which will end at 1800 hrs this evening hardly makes any difference as there was no let up in the positive cases in the valley, including summer capital, Srinagar.
The administration has announced to lift lockdown from this evening for three days to allow people to make purchases for the Eid-ul-Azha festival on August 1.
The divisional administration imposed fresh lockdown on July 20 to prevent further spread of coronavius in the valley, where 277 have fell to the deadly invisible virus till Sunday night. However, several areas were declared Red Zone in Bandipora in north Kashmir was excluded in the lockdown.
Shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic was off the road in Srinagar and other major towns and tehsil headquarters in the valley. However, in Srinagar good number of private vehicles, as compared to past about one week, were seen plying on different routes, including civil lines. Though security forces and state police personnel remained deployed in strength, private vehicles and pedestrians were moving freely. However, Gantaghar area in the historic Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the city, remained closed for any traffic movement.
The Amira Kadal bridge, connecting Hari Singh High Street (HSHS) also remained closed with barbed wire. However, pedestrians were being allowed to cross the bridge on foot paths. Business activities in major business hubs in the civil lines, uptown and down town remained suspended due to lock down. However, Bakerwals and others were seen with their sheep and goats for sale in different places in the city. The customers are again missing this time, they said adding last year too there was hardly any sale due to curfew restrictions after August 5. |
