The District Administration of Hamirpur issued strict orders to ensure that all such areas where there was a surge of tourists in certain areas and similarly, overcrowding has been noticed there which may lead to the spread of Covid-19, the violation of the COVID norms was stopped.
District Magistrate Debasweta Banik in a notification issued here last night under sections 33 & 34 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, has issued directions to all the SDMs and Police teams that they shall ensure to keep a close watch on all such vulnerable spots in the district and all crowded locations.
This order has been issued at a time when the number of active cases in the district were on the decline. However, the sudden surge in the number of the tourists and others at various vulnerable places amid the reports that the third wave of the COVID virus was on its way and it may cause huge loss to the lives of the people especially the children.
As per the notification, Flying squads constituted at the Sub-Divisional level for checking the crowd in marriages /functions may also be given the responsibility of checking the tourist hotspots and other crowded locations at least thrice a week including the weekends. In the order, the SDM, Barsar-cum-Chairman Temple Trust Baba Balak Nath Deodsidh Temple has been directed to ensure the preparation of proper deployment plan of all enforcement officials in coordination with the Temple officer and the DSP, Barsar.
He should also ensure deployment of Sector Officers in all such vulnerable locations in and around the temple premises along with the Police and Home Guards. Similarly, in order to make the public more aware of the dangers of the Covid-19, all the SDMs, BDOs, Revenue Officers, Panchayats, Public Relation Department, Police department, CMO, BMOs should ensure large scale IEC 9 INFORMATION-EDUCATION-COMMUNICATION) campaigning to be carried out in their respective jurisdictions.
The District Magistrate has ordered that the Police teams should carry out regular patrolling of all crowded locations as well as vaccination centers and crowded health facilities and ensure adherence to Covid-appropriate behavior. “All penal measures may be used in cases where COVID-appropriate behavior is not being followed despite adequate warnings,” the order has said.
The concerned Urban Local Bodies and Gram Panchayats in coordination with the Police should ensure large scale checking regarding adherence to Covid-appropriate behavior in all marketplaces and compliance to this order shall be ensured by the Superintendent of Police, Hamirpur, all the Sub-Divisional Magistrates, Police teams, Head of Departments, Executive Magistrates, Block Development Officers, and PRIs in Hamirpur District in coordination with various organizations like Vyapar Mandals, Taxi Unions, Hotel owners, as well as other such groups, should ensure widespread IEC regarding the prevention of a possible third wave of COVID-19 and also ensure large scale spread of the “No Mask No Service” campaign.
It has been made absolutely clear that any person violating Covid-19 appropriate behavior will be liable to be proceeded against as per the provisions of Section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act 2005, section 188 of the IPC, Section 111 read with Section 114 & 115 of HP Police Act-2007 and other legal provisions as applicable.
It’s worth mentioning here that the District Magistrate has issued this order following reports of large scale violations of the COVID guidelines which may invite the COVID virus once again and create problems for the masses. Hamirpur is the perhaps first district in the state where the administration has become tough against the COVID violators. Moreover, it is worth mentioning here that the number of active cases in the district that crossed