Ggm shuts borders, drivers ferrying goods to be screened
GURUGRAM: Cross-border movement between the national Capital and Gurugram will be stopped from 10am on Friday, with a few exemptions to maintain the supply of essential items, according to an order issued by the Gurugram administration on Thursday. On Wednesday, Faridabad had cross-border movement while the Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh sealed borders last week.
Deputy commissioner of Gurugram, Amit Khatri, in his order, asked government and private organisations in Gurugram and Delhi to make lodging arrangements for their employees, including essential staff such as health and sanitation workers, to avoid any undue hardship.
Officials said that rapid antibody testing of suspected cases will be done at the Delhi-Gurugram borders, besides thermal scanning. Drivers and helpers undertaking cross-border movement will have to remain in isolation at dedicated facilities, on their return to Gurugram. Those moving across borders have been asked to install the Aarogya Setu application on their mobile phones for contact tracing and monitoring their locations.
The decision has been taken after Covid-19 cases reported in Gurugram were traced to the Capital. Till Friday, 57 Covid-19 cases were reported in the city.
“We have given time for people to make appropriate arrangements before the movement is curbed from Friday,” said VS Kundu, chief executive officer of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), who is also the Covid-19 in-charge for Gurugram.
Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday, in an address to the citizens, said, “We will not allow coronavirus from Delhi to enter Haryana. In the last six days, 28 coronavirus cases have been reported in Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonepat and Jhajjar where contact sources were traced to Delhi. We have taken the decision to strictly curb movement across the border. The supply of essential items will be ensured, allowing only a driver and single support staff to cross borders.”
The administration has allowed vehicles ferrying vegetables, fruits, grains, poultry and other eatables, fodder for animals, medicines, medical equipment and raw materials used in manufacturing protective gear, sanitisers and ventilators to cross the border. The vehicles can have only one support staff, besides the driver.
Ambulances, ATM cash vans, LPG and oil containers/tankers will be allowed to move. Those who have been issued restricted movement pass by Central and state governments will also be allowed to cross the borders, as per the order.
The movement of vehicles carrying essential and non-essential items will be allowed on national and state highways. However, these vehicles will not be allowed to halt in Gurugram.
Mohammad Akil, the commissioner of police, Gurugram, said, “An assistant commissioner of police and station house officers of the area will personally monitor the border for at least eight hours. Deputy commissioners of police will check the surveillance and submit reports on the vehicular movements, every day.”