Corporation keeps close watch on key central shopping districts
The Hindu
Special team of senior officials, including police officers, formed to enforce SOP
With the normalcy slowly returning to the city, the Greater Chennai Corporation is not in a mood to let its guard down although daily tally of COVID-19 cases has dipped below 150. The civic body has been deputing special teams headed by senior officials to make surprise inspections on weekends in commercial areas, shopping malls, markets and crowded places, to make the traders and shoppers follow wearing of masks and maintain social distancing to prevent the spread of pandemic. Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said the officials, in coordination with the the police, have been making surprise visits particularly on weekends when there is a surge in the number of visitors in the shopping districts of T. Nagar, Purasawalkam, Ritchie Street, Broadway and some markets. Comprising Corporation and police officials, the special teams visit shops to check the compliance to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) issued by the State government to allow only 50% occupancy and advise traders to compulsorily have thermal scanners and sanitisers at the entrance of their establishments.The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.