Containment curbs scaled down in Nizamuddin after 70 days

THE BASTI WAS DECLARED A CONTAINMENT ZONE ON MARCH 30, DAYS AFTER CLOSE TO 2,000 PEOPLE WERE EVACUATED FROM THE TABLIGHI JAMAAT HEADQUARTERS

nNEW DELHI: After almost 70 days, residents of Nizamuddin Basti could step out their locality, as the Delhi government on Sunday scaled down the containment measures.

The Basti was declared a containment zone on March 30, days after close to 2,000 people were evacuated from the Tablighi Jamaat headquarters. According to Delhi government officials, the area continued to be a containment zone as a middle-aged woman tested positive on May 5.

As per Delhi government officials, no case has been reported in the last 28 days and so they decided to de-seal the area.

Mohd Yamin, secretary of the Hazarat Nizamuddin Council, said, “We are thankful to the government for listening to us and de-sealing the area. With mosques being allowed to open from Monday, we are happy that now we can go and offer prayers.”

But just a few kilometres away, a lane comprising 11 houses in Defence Colony was declared a containment zone on Sunday. Many residents in the area questioned the decision to declare such a small area a containment zone.

According to a senior Delhi police official aware of the development, “There are 7-8 cases reported from the lane. There are two houses where there is more number of cases.”

The area was declared a containment zone after Covid-19 cases were reported from households in C block. As per the order passed by Harleen Kaur, district magistrate of South East Delhi, public movement in the lane has been restricted.

Col (retd) Ranjit Singh, the president of the Defence Colony RWA, said, “There are about 14 people in these three homes, of which two are in hospital and rest are quarantined at home. Several sanitisation measures are being taken in the area.”

Kumkum Malhotra, a resident of C-block, said she is in homequarantine after her sister tested positive on May 29. “I don’t know why this area has been declared a containment zone. We have been in home quarantine ever since my sister tested positive,” Malhotra said, adding, “There are seven members in our family. The remaining six of us tested negative for Covid-19,” she said.