People opt for voluntary lockdown in Surat’s Rander

Surat: Majority of the areas in Rander, Adajan and Pal wore a deserted look on Thursday as shopkeepers and retailers began a voluntary lockdown for a week considering the worsening Covid-19 spread in the city.
Together, these areas have a population of around 20 lakh. Rander zone was the first Covid-19 hotspot when cases began to spike in the city. It was declared a cluster containment zone to contain the spread of virus. The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) had quarantined almost 1.25 sq km area covering nearly 4,000 houses after two Covid-19 cases were reported in April . According to the SMC’s health department, Rander zone has recorded about 725 Covid-19 positive cases till date out of which 70 have succumbed.
Majority of the shops in Adajan and Pal downed their shutters after 12 pm on Thursday. The retail shops in Adajan’s Prime Arcade, the well-known shopping destination for the residents, have voluntarily decided to keep their shops shut for a week. All the retail shops in Rander too down shutters voluntarily.
At most of the places in Rander zone, civic officials were seen asking shopkeepers to close their shops for a week.
On Thursday, deputy mayor Nirav Shah appealed to the shop owners and residents in Rander zone to set an example for others with a self-imposed lockdown for a week. He posted the appeal on his Facebook account.
Shah said, “Covid-19 situation in Surat is worsening with each passing day. It’s time for the residents to impose self-lockdown for a week.”
Imtiyas Patangwala, a retail shop owner in Rander town said, “We have seen the longest containment period of about one-and-a-half-month starting from the first week of April. We don’t want another containment and so all the shop owners have decided to impose self-lockdown.”