Many business owners are hoping that restrictions in Bengaluru will be lifted on April 20 as suggested by the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines, which were notified on Wednesday. However, in the backdrop of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) identifying 32 of the city’s 198 wards as COVID-19 hotspots - where one or more positive cases have been reported over the last 28 days - a decision will be taken closer to the date.
“We are living by the day and the geo-spatial map of COVID-19 is very dynamic. We will be able to take a call on whether we can ease restrictions in some parts or whether we have to treat the entire city as a hotspot, only on the eve of April 20,” said B.H. Anil Kumar, commissioner, BBMP.
Meanwhile, the Department of Industries and Commerce, also has to take a call on whether to allow resumption of work at the industrial areas within city limits, a decision that is also likely to be made closer to April 20, sources said.
Civic officials and health authorities said that given the changing dynamics of the spread of the pandemic, there is no clarity yet. While the city has reported the maximum number of cases for any district in the State, it is relatively better off compared to other metros in India. “Presently the cases seem to form clusters in certain pockets. But if new cases are reported from areas unrelated to these clusters, then relaxing of restrictions may be tough,” said a senior civic official.
IT sector
Most of the 32 COVID-19 hotspot wards are found roughly along the alignment of Ballari Road (North-East) to Hosur Road (South-East) stretch of Outer Ring Road apart from another cluster of wards at the intersection of Mysuru Road and West of Chord Road.
The ORR stretch of hotspots also houses the highest concentration of Information Technology (IT) firms and other companies fuelling the new economy. For instance, Mahadevapura, home to the city’s IT Corridor has six wards identified as hotspots.
Thus, though MHA guidelines have allowed IT and ITes firms to work up to 50% workforce after April 20 in non-hotspot zones, it may not come into effect in Bengaluru. Incidentally clusters observed at the intersection of Mysuru Road and West of Chord Road do not come in the way of any major industrial corridors.
Real estate
Construction projects where labourers are on site can resume work the MHA guidelines say, which the industry is looking forward to. Terming it ‘a much needed relaxation’, Kishore Jain, president, CREDAI-Bengaluru, urged the State government to follow suit and allow construction activity to resume with the available workforce. He also pointed out that this move will bring respite to the labourers worried about their income and work.
Industry
Peenya Industrial Area, the largest industrial estate in South Asia with nine lakh workers, is in the clear for now.
However, the Peenya Industries Association is not enthusiastic.
“The MHA guidelines for industrial estates are divorced from ground realities and are impractical. The guidelines mandate the workers have to be kept on the premises or at an adjoining building, which is impossible in Peenya. Most of the labourers have gone back to the villages and will not be able to come back as well,” said Prakash C., senior vice president, PIA.
The city has several other industrial estates in Rajajinagar, Yeshwantpur, Kamakshipalya and Bommanahalli, where industries face similar issues too, he pointed out.