Srinagar: Government authorities on Tuesday sealed a petrol pump at Gudoora village in Pulwama district for violating orders. At least 21 shops were sealed in Anantnag district for violating government orders. These shops were sealed by district police and Municipal Committee Anantnag.
Revenue officials in Pampore seized keys from 30 shopkeepers for violating orders.
In Ganderbal, police arrested 11 persons for defying orders. Police said that acting on specific information, they arrested 10 drivers and a shopkeeper for violating the prohibitory orders. Also, 10 tipper vehicles have been seized, police said.
Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Commissioner Gazanfar Ali, along with Health Officer and senior officers of the SMC, on Tuesday visited different areas of the city, including Khanyar, Lal Bazar, Zaidbal, Alamgiri Bazar, and Hazratbal, and inspected ATMs in these areas. On finding these ATMs not hygienic, Mr Ali sealed one ATM in Hazratbal area for not following the advisory for maintaining hygiene.
Besides this, the SMC team visited several branches of JK Bank and the branch managers were asked to ensure hygiene at ATMs also train the ATM guards accordingly.
On March 19, the SMC had held a meeting with representatives of leading banks in which directions had been passed to sanitise all ATMs in Srinagar city.
A hardware shop in Lal Bazaar near GD Goenka School was found to be open on Tuesday. The shopkeeper was strictly warned to close down his shop immediately or else the SMC would have it sealed.
SMC Commissioner Gazanfar Ali has requested all shopkeepers, except those dealing in essential commodities or services, to not open their shops, failing which action will be taken against them for non-compliance with orders.
The SMC Commissioner also took stock of sterilisation drives in different parts of the city.
Markets and roads continued to remain deserted for the fifth day in Kashmir valley on Tuesday due to the lockdown imposed to stop the spread of coronavirus.
For the past five days, businesses and transport, including private vehicles, are shut in Kashmir, including at Lal Chowk, the commercial hub of Srinagar. However, drug stores, groceries, vegetables and fruit shops and other essential services are operating normally.
Government forces have sealed entry into Srinagar city and similar measures have been put in place in other districts of the valley.
Police have started using drones in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir to monitor the movement of people.
Restrictions on public assembly have been imposed under Section 144 CrPC in almost all areas of the valley.

NAZIMA SIDIQ