Supply of flour, rice and sugar resumes in markets

Trucks roll into bazaars with fresh shipment of vegetables, fruits and commodities

RAWALPINDI: The people of the garrison city have taken a sigh of relief as the National Coordination Committee (NCC) formed to monitor the situation turning out amid coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the country, has allowed the movement of goods transport across the country.

Following the decision, the looming crisis of essential commodities in the garrison city has gone away. The movement of essential commodities such as sugar, flour, fruits and vegetables was completed smoothly on Saturday and the trucks carrying goods were seen being unloaded at different vendors and shops.

The people of all seven tehsils of Rawalpindi have expressed satisfaction over the NCC decision and shelves of the grocery shops have been stacked once again.

Meanwhile, the administration has come out against hoarding  and on the orders of the Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Anwaarul Haq, trucks have been parked in different localities for selling flour on official prices. A 20-kilogrmame (kg) flour sack was being sold for Rs808 while 10kg sack for Rs400. Furthermore, the flourmill owners have also commenced selling flour on the gates of their mills at ex-mill price.

All main commercial markets and bazaars in the city remained closed on the fifth day of province-wide lockdown. Meanwhile, after the administration allowed the opening of various other services including mobile top-ups, auto workshops, optical and departmental stores, the owners of these shops fearlessly rolled up the shutters on Saturday. The shops selling essential commodities such as grocery, medical stores, dairy shops, bakeries, meat, vegetable, and fruit shops also remained open from 8am to 8pm.

The police and paramilitary force Rangers ensured implementation on the government’s orders and imposed fines of some 69 motorcyclists for pillion-riding. The security personnel deflated the tires of the rickshaws and other passenger vehicles that were trying to move passengers covertly. The roads, which even have little traffic until evening, become deserted and given an eerie outlook after the deadline of 8pm. The security forces have set up pickets on main thoroughfares and different roads in Rawalpindi and public transport was not allowed on them.

All 44 bus stands in the garrison city stand sealed and the buses and other vehicles have been removed from there too. The vehicles with more than two passengers were only allowed to cross the pickets if they had a valid reason for leaving home while those failing to satisfy the personnel were sent back. The district kutcheri also conducted proceeding for an hour from 9am to 10pm.

Listing of suspected patients

The Rawalpindi administration has also constituted a list of some 150 people who have either come from abroad or other cities, staying in Rawalpindi, and found to have symptoms of the pandemic disease.

The list includes those as well who had disappeared from the airports or hospitals over the fear of being pushed into quarantine facilities.  A number of such people are currently staying in different city and cantonment areas. The administration has also requested the people to urge all such relatives or acquaintances to go to the hospitals to prevent the disease spread.

Rescue workers in action

Rescue 1122 teams were also in action in different quarantine centres while they also sprayed disinfectants in different markets and roads in the city.

The District Emergency Officer (DEO) Dr Abdul Rehman urged the people to avoid stepping outside if not necessary.

Saplings drying up

Due to the closure of various services of the civic agencies, the horticulture department has also turned a blind eye to the saplings that had been planted during the past two months under the Prime Minister Clean and Green Campaign.

Several saplings have started to wither as they have not been watered for over a week and none of the departments including the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), forest department, Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) and district administration is taking the responsibility. If the situation prevails and the administration misses the spring season, millions of rupees that the government had spent in the plantation drive would go wasted.

The saplings, up to six feet high, planted on the green belts and parks across the city and cantonment areas, have shed their leaves and dried up. The plantation drive had to run until April 30 however it was called off after the Punjab government enforced a clampdown amid the Covid-19 outbreak in the country.

The administration would also abandon spring plantation drive and thousands of saplings that were grown for the campaign were drying up in different nurseries. Meanwhile, the forest department officials have said that they would plant the remaining saplings as soon as the lockdown ends.

Pet shop owners allowed to feed animals daily

The Rawalpindi police have allowed the pet shop owners to feed animals and birds a few minutes a day daily.

The permission has been granted on the special directions of the City Police Officer (CPO) Ahsan Younus after the shop owners had decried of a massive loss as dozens of caged animals died amid the lockdown due to starvation and thirst. CPO said that the lives of animals must not be in peril even during the lockdown. 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2020.