Asifnagar in Hyderabad is now a major containment area
Asifnagar has emerged a major containment area in Hyderabad, with several new cases coming from there and authorities making restrictions only tighter by the day. It is reliably learnt that Asifnagar, with Mehdipatnam being its biggest locality for all practical purposes, is one of the hubs of Tablighi Jamaat, on the lines of Mallepally. The ‘Choti Masjid’ in Muradnagar area of Asif Nagar is a very active centre for the TJ, attracting hundreds of devotees on Fridays and even more during Ramzan.
Locals claim that surrounding areas have a high density of TJ followers, and authorities are clamping down here as the number of positive cases from Mehdipatnam alone is around 40. Residents of Mehdipatnam said ‘police are everywhere’ and most people are being questioned every time they go out.
On the other hand, they have also complained that no information regarding containment measures or how to procure essentials was provided to them by authorities.
“We are told not to go out. We are not given any contact numbers for delivery of essential services even though we are watching news channels that the government is helping everyone,” said a resident of Muradnagar.
However, the situation is different at the containment zone near Ashoor Khana Hazrat Abbas A.S. in Humayun Nagar. Residents here are requesting the GHMC employees deployed on the other side of the fence to get vegetables, medicines, water cans, and other commodities. “There are around 75 buildings in this zone with more than 200 people. They will come near the fence, hand over the list of groceries and money to GHMC workers, who will get them from the nearest store. Everything is peaceful here,” said a police officer deployed near the fence.
He said that a couple of residents who work at hospitals, banks and other essential services were allowed to go out only after signing a register. “They have to mention in and out time with their name and other details,” the officer said.