Pics: Spoorthi Ullal/ Abhijith N Kolpe/Mohan Kuthar/Justin D’Silva/Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network –Mangaluru/Udupi (ANK/DV/JD/MS)
Mangaluru/Udupi, Apr 23: In view of the rising COVID-19 cases, after the state government imposed strict weekend curfew from Friday night, normal life in Mangaluru and Udupi came to halt.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, the people were seen flocking to shops and markets to buy groceries and other essential commodities as strict curfew will be there till Monday morning. Except for essential services, all other commercial establishments will remain closed.
Mangaluru
Udupi
Kundapur
In Mangaluru city, only a few hotels and essential services remained open till 10 am. Several thronged to the fish market at Kudroli in the early hours to buy the fish. But, the fish market in State Bank witnessed very less customers. Even the market and transportation came to a halt after 10 am.
The police department has deployed police force in the entire district to prevent people from unnecessarily coming out from their houses. The police were seen checking vehicles near clock tower and Lady Goshen hospital and asking the public to return to their homes as soon as possible.
Under the limits of Mangaluru commissionerate, police have deployed 45 check posts to prevent people from roaming unnecessarily. Police officers are on rounds in their vehicles, nearly 5 to 6 cops are deployed at each check post. They will be working in two shifts. Nearly, 800 police personnel have been deployed for total bandobast.
The police have booked 1,400 cases for violating mask rule and 80 cases under Epidemic Diseases Act in the last one week. As many as 35 mobile squads and Covid marshals are also deployed. As many as 30 cases were booked under Epidemic Act on Friday. In total, 54 check posts have been set up.
Police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said, "People are fully co-operating for the weekend curfew. There was provision to buy essential commodities from 6 am to 10 am. So after 10 am, whoever violates the guidelines or moves without any genuine reason, action will be taken against them and their vehicle will be seized."
Udupi
Udupi city came to a standstill due to the weekend curfew that is imposed in the wake of spiralling cases of Covid second wave infections.
Roads of the city wear a deserted look without the movement of people and vehicles. Except milk, grocery and medical shops, all other establishments have downed their shutters.
Buses plying to faraway places are only allowed. Few KSRTC buses to Mysuru, Bengaluru, Haveri and Shivamogga have left from the city. All other express and city buses have stopped plying.
The bus stations and bus shelters are totally empty without buses and passengers. The police have beefed up security and are inquiring the public walking or travelling by vehicles on the road.
Kundapur
Citizens of Kundapur showed good response to the weekend curfew that is imposed on Saturday April 24 in order to control the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
The shut down was total from 10 am. Only a handful of vehicles were seen plying on the road. Police were noting down the vehicle number and mobile number of people who were driving vehicles on the road.
Some tipper trucks which were operated in violation of the rules were fined. Police security is beefed up. AC Raju was seen inspecting the situation. DySP Srikanth, CI Gopalakrishna, SI Sadashiva Gavaroji and other police personnel are on their toes.
Sanitization was carried out by Kundapur town municipality at bus station and nearby shops.