Nagpur: Citizens had varied reactions to the state government’s announcement of lifting lockdown-like restrictions as per the five-level unlock plan.
Yet, a majority concurred with the opinion that the onus of not letting our guard down lies on citizens.
Tejinder Singh Renu, president of Nagpur Residential Hotels Association (NHRA), said, “It’s nice that the city opens with a sensible order.
It’s up to the citizens to follow protocols and guidelines to manage the level of restrictions and keep the city moving almost 100%.
Now, we are directly responsible if there’s any lockdown ahead.” “People were looking forward to the unlocking process, but once the curbs are done away with, they should cautiously and responsibly go on with their work,” said Modern School director Neeru Kapai.
“Though this unlocking was necessary for many business and work sectors, as uncertainty is the punchline here during Covid times, people should be very responsible with their actions,” Kapai added.
Lawyer Firdos Mirza termed it as a welcome move.
He said, “It will instil confidence in the public and also provide solace to the economy.
Everyone must keep in mind that the government has not yet prepared any national plan to deal with the pandemic, so they have to take care of themselves.
Thus, each citizen must follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.” Lalit Khullar, director of Tripude Institute of Management Education, said, “This might not be the best time to initiate the process of easing restrictions, but people should resolve to follow Covid precautions strictly.” Chartered accountant Shivkumar Rao’s immediate reaction to the news of was that of surprise.
He said, “However, the matrix defining level-wise unlocking seems to have been calibrated well and monitoring on a weekly basis also appears fine.
It’s now entirely up to the citizens and businesses to follow guidelines and ensure that we don’t slip to further levels.
We should aim to be at level one permanently.” Mohota Science College’s vice-principal Rina Saha believes that restrictions should have been eased earlier.
She added, “Now that we are heading towards a routine without restrictions, we need to follow all norms as experts have suggested that the third wave can affect children.
We should do our best to protect our loved ones.” Vidarbha Industries Association Lady Entrepreneur’s Wing chairperson Manisha Bawankar said, “The government should not open all the sectors together because cases are still above 100 in the city.
The relaxation of curbs should be a step by step process so that the projected third wave causes lesser damage.” Retired school principal Kana Roy Chaudhuri said it’s important to open each and every shop as soon as possible to bring the state’s economic condition back on track.
She added, “It will help people who were out of business.
Also, people should follow Covid guidelines properly and if they have any symptoms, they should get a test done immediately.” Entrepreneur and angel investor Shashikant Chaudhary agreed with Chaudhuri’s opinion.
He said, “This is the right time to open up as the financial health of organizations as individuals have taken a huge toll.
But we need to take baby steps first, take feedback, and then increase the speed of easing restrictions gradually.” Businesswoman Monica Bhagwagar expressed strong opposition to the decision.
She said, “Nagpur citizens never learnt a lesson from earlier conditions as some are still not following the rules properly and venturing out aimlessly.
This may lead to the third wave.
It is my humble request to the state government to execute the unlock process in a phased manner which would be more convenient according to the situation.” (With inputs from Shuchi Purohit & Dev Sethia)