Delhi seals borders for one week
NEWDELHI: The Delhi government on Monday imposed stringent curbs on inter-state travel by deciding to seal the city’s borders for a week. While the move, according to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, is aimed at ensuring that hospital beds are not crowded by people coming from outside Delhi, it left many confused as to how they would go to work or board a train or flight.
Addressing a digital press conference, Kejriwal sought suggestions from the public till Friday 5 pm on whether to keep the borders sealed beyond the stipulated one week. “For the time being, our government is sealing the borders of Delhi for one week. Essential services will remain functional and government officers can travel on their identity cards. Based on the suggestions received from you, we will talk to experts and decide on our future course of action on the opening of borders,” he said.
A senior government official said that those who have been issued passes from the city administrations of Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad will be allowed as per the lockdown relaxation order.
“Residents of Delhi who go for work to neighbouring cities will have to collect e-passes from their respective district magistrates,” said a senior government official.
GURUGRAM: Just as the Haryana government decided to lift restrictions on the Gurugram border, the Delhi governments has shut it on its side. Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who chaired a meeting in Chandigarh on Sunday evening, had said that the curbs should be eased even though the administration was yet to issue a written order.
However, the Delhi government on Monday announced closing its borders with the neighbouring states to control the influx of Covid patients since thousands in other states depend on Delhi hospitals for treatment. The Gurugram administration has maintained restrictions on entry from Delhi side with varying degree of curbs for the past two months.
The two conflicting orders on Monday evoked sharp reactions from residents of the Millennium City.
Nidhi Sharma, a South Delhi resident who travels to Gurugram
daily for work, said the two orders have only added to the confusion. “I have been carrying my stuff in my car for the last one month. I had already shifted to Gurugram twice and returned after the relaxations were announced. This is sheer harassment,” she said.
The police personnel deployed at the border on Monday evening said that many commuters were stopping there to ask them about the situation at the Delhi border but they couldn’t help them with any information because of the lack of clarity.
Several commuters who could enter Gurugram without any checks on Monday from Delhi said the governments may have taken such decisions in the wake of rising Covid cases, but for them it is a question of livelihood.
Many of them have now resorted to find alternative routes.
Shahja, a factory worker commuting from Kapashera to Udyog Vihar, said, “We have decided to cross the border via an irregular stretch, which is not manned by the police.”