BENGALURU: In a city where citizens are chafing at the lockdown, the residents of Tipu Nagar, in Chamarajpet, have taken voluntarily sealed most parts of their locality after a positive case was reported from their area on Tuesday. This has come as a pleasant surprise to the police, health and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials, who are struggling to keep people indoors in most parts of the city.

BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar said that people have self-sealed parts of the area. Lanes, bylanes and entrances to apartment complexes are barricaded, and other measures are also being taken to seal roads. All that the BBMP needs to do now is fumigate and disinfect the area.  He said that BBMP is also tracing all the primary and secondary contacts of the person who tested positive. So far, 25 primary contacts have been traced. However, tests have not been carried out on ward corporator Nazima Begum and her family, who are also suspected to have been in contact with the patient.

BBMP chief health officer Vijendra said that no one will be left unattended. The designation of the person is not the criteria, every person will be tested and all due procedures will be followed, he said. Officials said that residents took this step because of the fear of a rise in the number of cases, as was found in Bapuji Nagar and Padarayanapura. Here too, some of the roads are narrow and homes are in close proximity to each other. 

Subhash C, a shopkeeper in Chamarajpet, said the move by residents was a welcome move and shows that they are aware citizens. The area is crucial as there are many commercial establishments in the vicinity, so proper care is needed.According to BBMP and health officials, so far, 2,565 primary and 6,373 secondary contacts in Bengaluru have been screened.