Aatif Qayoom
Srinagar, April 14 (KNS): People are miffed with the Srinagar authorities for damaging the roads in the name of erecting barricades for sealing the Red Zone areas.
A picture of Natipora area of Srinagar went viral on social networking sites. It shows road has been dug to erect barricades fitted with cross rods to prevent vehicular and pedestrian movement.
A Netizen wrote, “Govt is doing a great job by enforcing lockdown and sealing red zone areas. But is this way to seal areas. They are damaging our roads. This is a typical case of vandalization of resources in the name of COVID control.”
A social activist Shabir Ahmed also questioned the sealing of roads with iron gates.
“We are humans. We can have other medical emergencies. Where will the patient go in case a person from red zone has a medical emergency? If any untoward incident like a fire erupts where will we go. They should have sealed it with barbed wire on roads.” he said.
Sealing the areas completely with iron gates is also against the new medical policy of the Government.
“How Govt will provide medical assistance and other essential supplies when they are erecting iron walls on entrances of Red Zones,” he added.
The only movement across the red zone boundaries would be for supplies (medical, grocery, and vegetables), medical emergencies, fumigation/sanitation, and enforcement/survey personnel, Medical Strategy reads.
The Medical strategy also says that all entry and exit would be with red zone passes and proper fumigation of vehicles, the safety of personnel and safety tunnels. Call centres would attend to the needs of Red Zone residents and arrangements would be needed for some deliveries into it.” (KNS).