SUNDAY STANDSTILL
Tamil Nadu on Sunday observed a compelete lockdown, the first during the current wave of the pandemic and roads were deserted as people remained indoors. The second lockdown after a seven month hiatus, saw closure of markets and all retail outlets; Scenes (from left) in Chennai show the deserted front of the MGR Central Railway station, Mount Road, a few shops at Burma Bazaar and traffic police checking motorists on Kamarajar Salai
Roads wore a deserted look as people stayed indoors and commercial establishments remained closed on the first weekend lockdown in Coimbatore and neighbouring districts on Sunday.
In Coimbatore, temporary check posts were erected in more than 30 places to prevent people loitering out without any purpose. Police warned and let off those coming out of their house without valid reason.
A senior police official said that except for stray incidents of disobedience by the civic society, the lockdown day passed off peacefully. There was hardly any vehicle movement on the arterial Avinashi Road and Tiruchy Road. In the neighbouring Tirupur district too, people preferred to stay indoors. But, the closure of all hotels and eateries forced workers staying in mansions to starve without regular food.
Apart from setting up check posts on Dharapuram Road,
Avinashi Road, Kangeyam Road and Palladam Road, police also took up patrolling in residential areas and advised those found outside to go back into their houses. More than 500 police personnel were involved in checks in the city limits and flyovers were blocked with barricades.
Though the knitwear firms were allowed to operate even on the lockdown day, most of them did not function due to issues in movement of workers. “Only a minimum number of firms with an in-house staying facility for workers operated. A majority of other units, which rely on workers coming from faraway places, were forced to remain shut. Already, the textile firms have incurred heavy loss due to cancellation of night shift due to restrictions,” said V Muthurathinam, a textile manufacturer.
Other western districts, including Salem, Erode and The Nilgiris too wore a deserted look as commercial establishments remained shut and there was hardly any vehicle on roads due to the lockdown.