Bustling Rythu Bazars, serpentine queues, packed kirana shops and milk parlours. These were the scenes witnessed at many places in many parts of the district on Tuesday.
With officials relaxing the lockdown period from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. to enable the public to purchase essential commodities, people thronged vegetable and fruit markets and provisional stores since morning.
Markets shifted, missing price boards
The district administration shifted Patamata Rythu Bazar to the nearby High School, Swaraj Maidan Rythu Bazar to Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation (IGMC) Stadium and the Kedareswara Peta market to Gandhi Municipal Corporation School, for the convenience of public.
Heavy rush was seen at all the Rythu Bazars and public purchased vegetables standing in long queues. However, no price lists were seen at the vegetable markets and sanitization and spraying of bleaching powder and other activities were not seen at the Rythu Bazars. Medical and Health Department officials and police department were seen advising the public to wear masks and maintain social distance through public addressing systems.
Sans masks and social distance
Despite appeals and warnings, people were seen moving on the roads without wearing masks and heavy crowds witnessed at the Rythu Bazars, ignoring instructions such as maintaining one metre social distance to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
Police put up barricades at Benz Circle, NTR Circle, Veterinary Hospital Junction, Prakasam Barrage, Police Control Room, Kaleswara Rao Market, One Town, Panja Centre, Gollapudi, Kummaripalem, Ibrahimpatnam and other junctions and enforced lockdown from 9 a.m.
All hotels, shops and other establishments downed shutters. Autos were seen off the roads. Heavy police forces were deployed on all thoroughfares, and at all junctions to enforce the lockdown strictly.
