With coronavirus tightening its grip on Madurai, which has been brought under intense lockdown, a similar panicky situation is emerging in many central districts, including Tiruchy, as well.
A notice board restricting entry of visitors from Chennai and Madurai
Thiruchirapalli:
The surge in districts is attributed to those, who had move to the state capital for employment reasons, returning to their native places from Chennai in the wake of the intense lockdown.
In an effort to protect themselves from the ‘Chennai cluster’, several resident welfare and apartments’ associations are refusing to allow visitors from the state capital and the Temple City.
Yet another issue that has turned out be a headache for the Corporation officials is that around 3,000 persons from Chennai had reportedly sneaked into Tiruchy even though their e-pass applications were rejected during the third week of June. Now a massive manhunt for them is under way in the Rock City.
The civic body has also instructed residents to pass on information about visitors from Chennai and other districts.
Meanwhile, residential areas like Thillai Nagar, Cantonment and Woraiyur in Tiruchy, where several apartments are located, had witnessed a few positive cases, which has heightened scare among the residents. The civic body, which had turned several streets in Thillai Nagar into containment zones, has asked the apartment associations to enlist Chennai visitors. But, the move has led to altercations between the office-bearers and the family members of visitors.
Corporation officials said, around 500 cases are reported in Tiruchy City alone and among them 75 per cent of the cases had a travel history from Chennai and other districts.
Fearing further surge in residential areas, especially those in apartments, has put up display boards restricting visitors from other districts.
“We experience heated arguments when we interact face to face, but on the other hand, the civic body officials have been insisting to implement the norms and avoid visitors. So, we have no other option but to display the board outside and in detail at the notice board inside,” said V Manuel,an apartment secretary in Thillai Nagar.
“We have also asked the watchmen to inform us when anyone arrived from Chennai or other districts to track and pass on information to health officials,” he said.
Similar boards are displayed in many other apartments across the city restricting visitors from the other districts.