Red Zones under Lockdown 4.0 should be limited to Wards in Municipal Areas

Developing upon the speech by the Honourable Prime Minister yesterday that the new version of lockdown would be different from the previous ones, IAMAI has suggested that the demarcation under lockdown 4.0 should be based on wards in municipal areas and not whole districts. IAMAI further suggested that free movement of goods and services should be allowed in and between all wards in municipality areas which are not marked as red; shops and establishment should be allowed to open under strict operating guidelines; free movement of people should be allowed under strict guidelines to wear mask and follow other health and safety procedures to maintain social distance.

The association pointed that the bulwark of containment is being enforced by the states and local authorities like Municipalities, who are better equipped to operate at Ward levels given their administrative mechanisms are designed at those levels. This will help states free scarce resources from wards less affected, and those wards marked as red will then receive concentrated attention of the local authorities. With better coordinated quarantine and supply of essentials, these places will possibly become contamination-free faster and help break the contagion chain reaction.

IAMAI stated that restrictions at district level is too broad a canvas that severely hinders economic revival as well. The association highlighted that industries and establishments are finding it difficult to resume activity as restricting entire districts restrict large section of population, that affects resumption of workforces and market access. Focusing at ward levels will help ease critical economic resources and allow market dynamics to resume normalcy.