It’s old ways at New Ashok Nagar

Ludhiana: It was life as usual at New Ashok Nagar in Salem Tabri, which is the fourth containment zone in the city. On Friday, people were seen entering and exiting the zone freely and many were without masks inside the area. Four areas have been declared containment zones in the district so far (Chawni Mohalla is no longer in the category).
Two days after the district administration declared New Ashok Nagar A, B and C as a containment zone after it reported 23 cases, a Times of India team found norms being thrown to the wind. Of the four barricaded streets visited by the team, in two, cops were on duty and in one a health team was taking samples of residents.
In two streets, though cordons were in place, people were moving in and out, and two children also sneaked in. In one of the streets, a woman and a child were sitting on a chair without masks. Nearby, a mask-less woman was buying something from a street vendor and a scooterist drove past, also without a mask. In one of the streets, people were seen moving though barricades in the absence of cops.
District administration officials said the police have to ensure strict implementation of restrictions in containment zones. They said as per the government guidelines, movement has to be monitored to ensure that nobody leaves or visits the area, except for medical emergencies and supply of essential goods and services.
However, police authorities claimed norms related to containment zones were being enforced in New Ashok Nagar.
Ludhiana Police commissioner Rakesh Aggarwal said they have deputed adequate cops at the containment zones. “They are carrying out flag march. Besides posters are pasted and announcements made. We will address the shortcomings and register cases against those violating the norms .”
BOX
CASE FILE
Name of containment zone ---------- Cases*
Habib Ganj, Sainsi Mohalla, Islam Ganj --------- 56
Prem Nagar --------- 80
New Ashok Nagar, A,B,C, Salem Tabri --------- 23
* Cases as on July 1
Box 2:
The first
On June 5, Chawni Mohalla was declared a containment zone, the first in Ludhiana district.