Jahangir Lolabi
Srinagar, Jun 7: Administration in north-Kashmir’s Kupwara has impressed upon people to follow Lockdown guidelines strictly as the frontier district continues to remain in ‘Red zone category’, according to a latest order issued by Jammu and Kashmir administration.
Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, District Magistrate Anshul Gargh (@hello_anshul) wrote, “#Kupwara continues to fall in Red Category from 8th June as well, with the recent spike due to incoming travellers and increased testing rates. We need to be more cautious as Unlock process is underway and there is no room for complacency” (sic.)
When contacted District Magistrate Kupwara Anshul Gargh told GNS that the recent developments in the COVID situation, necessciated that the restrictions be continued in the district.
“We cannot afford to go lenient in our approach for now”, the top officer said adding “with the arrival of people from outside it becomes altogether imperative to strictly follow the Lockdown guidelines.”
Urging the people to take measures to contain the spread of infection, Gargh said that, “people need to restrain their movement and wear masks if they at anytime need to venture out.”
Assuring that the district administration is on job to contain the spread the top-officer said that, “though the recently detected cases are a matter of concern but the public need not to panic for concerned authorities are on job and are regularly keeping a check on the things.”
When asked over the issue of shortage of masks to the people, the top-officer said that “Cotton-based reusable masks have been already distributed by District Panchayat Officer to concerned Panchayats, adding “If at all there is need of any masks, the people can approach their local Panchayats to procure the same.”
“It is to be distributed free of cost to BPL category and to APL against an amount of ten rupees for each mask.”
Pertinent to mention here that, in an order issued by Chief Secretary J&K, BVR Subrahmanyam, earlier in the day, declared all Kashmir provision districts except Ganderbal and Bandipore as red zones. The two districts now figure in the orange zone list, as per the latest order.
In Jammu province, Ramban district has been declared as red zone while as Karthia, Samba, Reasi, Udhampur, Poonch, Rajouri and Jammu have been included in the list of Orange Zones with Doda and Kishtwar the only districts which have been declared as Green zones, as per the order.
The new categorization of the districts, as per the order, has been made after the latest assessment of the spread of COVID-19 in view of the inter-state movement of people in view of the relaxation in the lockdown restrictions. The categorization will be reviewed periodically by the government.
Pertinent to mention, that the Jammu and Kashmir administration had in last month also declared all Kashmir districts except Ganderbal and Bandipore as red zones.(GNS)
