The first day of the weekend lockdown in Dakshina Kannada district on Saturday saw only milk parlours and a couple of HOPCOM outlets, besides healthcare facilities, open and the streets remaining almost deserted.
The district administration on Saturday decided to reduce the window to purchase essentials from six hours to three hours on weekdays and impose complete lockdown on weekends exempting only milk and Hopcoms outlets till 9 a.m. Vendors selling other essentials, including grocery, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish etc., were not allowed to open during the weekend lockdown.
Yet, some fish vendors brought in their produce on two-wheelers and sold them to customers on the side of roads and near their houses. Fish vendors were compelled to sell the product as it was perishable commodity even as hundreds of fishermen who reached the coast with fresh cash found it difficult to dispose of the catch.
The police erected barricades on all main roads and junctions in Mangaluru City and also enhanced patrolling by patrol vehicles to check ‘unnecessary’ movement of people. By 9.30 a.m., almost all streets in the city wore a deserted look. Only healthcare facilities, including hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, were allowed to function. At the same time, hotel kitchens too were allowed to remain to offer takeaways and parcels till 10 p.m.
With the introduction of new rules in Dakshina Kannada since Thursday night, the Mangaluru City police seized 452 vehicles, including 401 two-wheelers, 11 three-wheelers, and 40 four-wheelers till Friday night.
They also booked 35 cases under the National Disaster Management Authority Act and 23 under the Epidemic Diseases Act. As many as 946 people were imposed fine for not wearing masks.
In Dakshina Kannada district, 100 vehicles were seized, 394 cases were booked for not wearing masks, and six FIRs were registered for violating COVID-19 guidelines.
Meanwhile, there was increased demand for train services with Mangaluru Central and Mangaluru Junction witnessing heavy footfall.
Hundreds intended to move out of the city in view of the fortnight lockdown starting Monday even as Railways has already cancelled many Kerala and Tamil Nadu-bound trains. Autorickshaw and taxi services were almost nil across the city.
