Traffic jam, hustle-bustle return to Kohima

Our Correspondent
Kohima, June 18 (EMN): Even as the government of Nagaland has extended the lockdown till June 30, citing the state’s Covid positivity rate of over 5% and less than 50% vaccination of its population, a normal-like situation was witnessed in Kohima on Friday as people thronged the market.

The Kohima district administration had on June 11 announced some relaxations, including allowing certain shops and business establishments to open between 6 am and 2 pm by following all the Covid-appropriate behaviours.

As lockdown eases, traffic jams and hustle-bustle have returned to the state’s capital city and many were spotted hitting the streets during the marketing window with total disregard for Covid norms, especially maintaining of physical distance.

Priya Yadav, a B.Com student from Kolkata, told Eastern Mirror that people were thronging the shops and stores without following Covid-norms.

‘People are gathering in shops without maintaining social distance,’ she laments, while expressing fear that the situation could get worse if people continue to flout SOP whenever the government relaxes restrictions.

“We are recovering (from Covid positive cases) but the situation might get worse,” said Yadav, who presently stays with her father who runs a musical store in Kohima.

She said that the public should strictly follow the Covid rules as the situation in the country is still bad. “We must follow what the government says,” she added.

“Our action should not cause hindrance to others,” said Imdangtila Kichu, an MSc student from National Institute of Technology in Dimapur.

She said that people should be more careful and responsible now ‘for their actions can cause disaster or spread more infections to others’.

‘Whatever relaxations are being issued by the authorities, it should not encourage social gatherings,’ said Kichu, who was on her way to pick up her mother, a healthcare worker.

She also suggested that in every work place, minimal staff should be deployed with proper restrictions in place.

Metevizo Sophie, advisor of Officers’ Hill Youth Organisation, said that the scene witnessed on the streets of Kohima on Friday was not very different from any other “normal day”.

He emphasised that odd-even traffic rule should be strictly enforced to minimise vehicular movement during the prevailing situation.

Lamenting citizen’s lack of civic sense, Sophie said that many are least bothered about following Covid-appropriate behaviour despite repeated reminders from the authorities.