SRINAGAR: The government on Monday ordered closure of all parks and gardens in Srinagar till further orders as a precautionary measure and also suspended trails for driving licenses.
Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Shahid Choudhary said, “All parks and gardens in Srinagar will remain closed till further notice. Cooperation of people in implementing precautionary measures is appreciated.”
The authorities have already shut all schools, colleges and private tuition centres, cinema halls across the region till March 31. Besides, the Sunday flea market that witnesses huge crowd has also been shut.
An official at Srinagar civic body said each ward officer in the city has been strictly instructed to clear garbage early morning and also carry out sterilization in neighbourhoods.
Though no positive case of Covid-19 was detected so far in Kashmir but 2157 persons have been put under surveillance in Jammu and Kashmir.
The government also passed directions to all RTOs and ARTOs of Motor Vehicles department towards mitigating the transmission of COVID-19 in J&K.
An official order said, “All RTO’s/ARTO’s of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall ensure that all the public transport operating in their territorial jurisdictions shall be sanitized with the prescribed disinfectants at the regular intervals as prescribed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. They shall also ensure necessary briefings and sensitizations of drivers/cleaners through their staff. Moreover, the Presidents of Bus Stands/Sumo Stands/Auto Stands shall also be involved for awareness of their staff, drivers and cleaners”.
“All RTO’s/ARTO’s shall ensure that no trial test, learning test of the driving licenses shall be conducted till 31st of March 2020,” it added.
Meanwhile, prohibitory orders have been imposed in Ganderbal district in view of the prevailing health emergency due to the coronavirus threat, an official said on Monday.
The section 144, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which bars assembly of more than five people, will remain in force for 15 days till March 31.

Reader correspondent