CP to survey crowded places, issues warning to traders

Nagpur: City police chief Amitesh Kumar is set to hit the streets soon to assess the situations at crowded places, key markets and malls to prepare a strategy to enforce Covid distancing.
After stringently enforcing the mask rule, Kumar’s next agenda is crowd management for an effective Covid distancing strategy. With a view to break the Corona chain in the city, which is witnessing a staggering spike in Covid cases and deaths too, Kumar is gearing up to delve into a stricter policing format.
On Saturday, the city police continued it’s sweeping drive against citizens not wearing masks penalizing 2,026 people and collecting more than Rs4.11 lakh fine. “Our drive against non-users of masks was also part of sensitizing people and not just mere enforcement of the rule. We plan to have more such drives,” said Kumar.
Kumar, who aims to continue policing measures complementing the efforts of NMC in the fight against Corona, sounded disappointed on citizens and traders taking Covid distancing lightly. “Despite appeals, Covid distancing is not being followed at markets, shops and malls. A fresh appeal is being sent out now and it would follow with stringent actions,” said Kumar.
“This is a critical phase and until citizens follow the Covid guidelines with discipline we would not be able to break the Corona chain,” added the CP.
Kumar said traders must allow only as many customers inside the shop by which Covid distancing is possible. “Unnecessary crowding must be avoided,” he said.
Kumar, who is also keeping a close tab on his department’s preparedness to fight the pandemic and also health issues of the Covid affected personnel, said the early detection and hospitalization of the cops tested positive is his aim. Along with joint CP Nilesh Bharne, he handed over cheques of Rs50 lakhs to the nearest kin of the cops dying of Covid-19.