BHOPAL: With the enforcement of night curfew during late hours, many roads in Old Bhopal become inaccessible. Every night, the local police barricade the area connecting new Bhopal to the old city to prevent unnecessary commuting. However, the exercise is causing a lot of inconvenience to people who have to move from the old city to new or vice versa for genuine reasons or emergency purposes.
The police and local administration are of the view that barricading thoroughfares in old city would prohibit unwarranted movement of old city people, who are habitual of roaming around late night. The unwarranted movement amid pandemic is leading to a rise in coronavirus cases.The police officials claim that people in old Bhopal are habitual of moving during night and they continue to do so even during night curfew. Thus it has become a necessity for the department to barricade the roads so that the people stay indoors in the night.
While these barricades prove deterrent for those who are loitering around, but for people who have genuine reasons to move face a lot of difficulties, and reasoning out with cops for moving late at night. If they are able to convince the cops to venture out late then they might find themselves lucky, however, if not then they have to cover extra distance and take a longer route to reach their destination.
The areas connecting Shahjahanabad to Peer Gate remain barricaded during the night curfew. Barricades have been erected from Peer Gate to Retghat. Also, the road linking Peergate to Chhawani remains barricaded and if one has to leave from Chowk Bazaar, Lakherapura, Itwara or Budhwara towards railway station or towards MP Nagar or Jahangirabad, their movement is restricted as they reach Talaiya police station. Interestingly, barricades are set-up only in old Bhopal areas and no such restrictions are seen in new Bhopal.
On most of the barricaded roads, the absence of cops leaves the commuters to take a U turn.
Public movement seen in old Bhopal during late hours
The SP (North) Vijay Kumar Khatri said that barricades may cause little hassle specially to people who have genuine reason to move out of the house late at night, but it checks unwarranted movement of people who habitually loiter during late hours. As Covid-19 cases are on the rise, we have to ensure people remain inside their homes while night curfew is enforced and for this reason certain roads in old Bhopal have been closed for movement, he added. Road barricading is required in areas like Qazi Camp, Shahjahanabad, Teela Jamalpura and Bhopal Talkies, he added. The roads in new Bhopal are not barricaded as one would not find people moving unnecessarily at night there, but this is not the case in old Bhopal, said Khatri. He further said that policemen remain deployed around the barricades and they do not stop anyone moving with genuine reason or for emergency purpose during late hours.
