Coronavirus: Police deployed in 7 districts of Haryana to enforce lockdown amid COVID-19 crisis

Police personnel were on Monday deployed in strength to enforce lockdown in seven districts of Haryana, including Gurugram after the state government put in place emergency measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Police put up barricades at many places and were seen stopping vehicles and sending back many people to their homes after ascertaining that they were out for non-essential work.

However, people having medical or any other emergency and those connected with maintaining essential and emergency services were being allowed.

People were also allowed to come out from their homes a for short period to buy essentials like bread, milk and medicines.

The Haryana Government has ordered a lockdown in seven of its 22 districts--Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Panipat, Jhajjar, Rohtak and Panchkula from 9 pm on Sunday to March 31.

The state has so far reported 12 positive cases that include eight from Gurugram, one each from Panchkula, Faridabad, Panipat and Sonipat, health department said.

A police personnel on duty in Gurugram along the Delhi-Gurugram border said any vehicle passing through the highway was being stopped.

"We are allowing only those to travel who have been given exemption by the government or anyone having any medical emergency.

"Those who are being allowed include patients having emergency, doctors, bank, airport or government officials going on duty. Anyone who is found to be out without any justifiable reason is being sent back to their home,” he told the media.

Police in Faridabad had also put up barricades at multiple places to enforce the lockdown.

"People who are exempted from lockdown that includes those connected with maintaining essential services are being allowed. On finding that people who do not have any urgency and are coming out of their homes without valid reason are being sent back," said a police official in Faridabad.

"We are trying to persuade people not to come out of their homes unless there is some emergency," he added.

In Sonipat, police had put up barricades on the national highway and elsewhere to enforce the lockdown.

In Panchkula too, police could be seen persuading people to go back to their homes.

Any person found violating the containment measures shall be deemed to have committed an offence punishable under Section 188 of the IPC (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), an order issued by state's Home Department had said earlier.

All essential and emergency services will remain functional during the lockdown period, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had said while appealing people not to panic or worry.

The lockdown period in seven districts started immediately after 14-hour-long 'Janata curfew' ended at 9 pm on Sunday.

Haryana government has deployed six IAS officers in the seven districts for planning, coordination and monitoring the implementation of all activities for the prevention and control of COVID-19, in addition to their present duties.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Haryana government has also deputed 3 IAS officers and 2 HCS officers in the control rooms set-up in Haryana Civil Secretariat and New Haryana Civil Secretariat here.