Dimapur, May 15 (EMN): With the enforcement of a week-long total lockdown beginning from May 14, various district administrations across Nagaland have issued directives for strict compliance in order to ensure success of the total lockdown.
The directives in this regards were issued by the deputy commissioners of Mon, Peren, Tuensang namely Thavaseelan K, Sentiwapang Aier and Kumar Ramnikant as well as the additional deputy commissioners of Pfutsero and Chozuba. A DIPR report stated that all activities and movement of person(s)/ individual would be suspended during the lockdown period except for permitted activities.
The permitted activities included movement of vehicles carrying essential commodities/ food items and medical supplies including oxygen/ oxygen cylinders and other medical equipment.
All healthcare facilities, pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, movement of healthcare workers including those of animal healthcare, Covid-19 vaccination, Covid testing and medical emergencies have also been permitted.
All officers and staff working in district courts, district administration, police, security forces, Fire and Emergency Services, Home department, Medical, Postal Services, NIC, NSDMA, Home Guards and Civil Defence, SDRF, Power, PHED, Food and Civil Supplies, Finance, Taxes, Treasury and Accounts, Banks/ ATMs, ITandC, IPR, AIR and Doordarshan, Social Welfare department including functioning of Sakhi-One Stop Centre, women helpline, child protection services, Anganwadi services, LPG services including their delivery, distribution and transportation, private water tanker/ carriers, prison and related services, courier services, municipal services like cleaning and sanitation, Food Corporation of India (FCI) have also been permitted.
The directive also stated that agriculture and allied activities and ongoing construction works would be allowed subject to the contractor/ owner ensuring adherence to Covid-19 appropriate behaviours. Labourers already at the site are to be engaged and no new labourers should be brought from outside. Further, transportation to and from the camp to the work site should be arranged by the concerned contractor/ owner.
Petrol pumps would remain open by ensuring no crowding, while all establishments and personnel relating to electronic and print media, telecom/ internet service providers are also permitted to carry out their activities by adhering to SOP guidelines.
It has also directed all shops remain closed except for vegetable, fish/ meat vendors, milk booths, bakeries, local grocery stores, hardware, electrical and electronics shops including those that sell animal feed shops for public purchase from 6 am to 12 noon. Public are advised to shop for their essential needs from within their respective wards/colonies.
Hotels for lodging have been allowed to remain open with minimum staff, while restaurants would remain closed for in-house dining. They might, however, cater through home delivery. It has also allowed food delivery, grocery delivery and other e-commerce services.
Funeral services has been limited to not more than 20 persons and all places of mass gathering would be closed and all social/ political/ sports/ entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ religious functions and other large congregations barred except for solemnisation of weddings with prior permission from the district task forces limiting to a maximum of 20 persons.
Movement of all private and public transport vehicles have also been suspended except for medical emergencies with occupancy of 50% and Covid appropriate behaviour. All other cases would require special permission from the district task forces.
Each village council has been authorised one or two vehicles to transport essential commodities from town to village, adding only two persons would be allowed to travel in the vehicle.
Movement of inter-state transit passengers would continue to be allowed as per provisions of the revised standard procedure (SOP) for returnees and travellers entering Nagaland issued vide NSDMA order dated April 29.
Meanwhile, head of departments/ head of offices are asked to constitute core group of officers/ staff in their respective departments to attend urgent and essential matters including court cases. All other government employees should be available on call, it added.
Strict enforcement of the restrictions has been authorised to the district task forces/ block/ sub-divisional task forces, village task forces and ward task forces. It added that strict checking would be conducted at the district entry points to prevent non-essential movement of people.
It further warned that any person/ group of persons acting in violation of the order would be deemed to have committed an offence punishable under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and relevant provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
