The overall situation regarding implementation of lockdowns in two city corporations of the capital has reached a chaotic state as DSCC and DNCC authorities are unable to lock down all red zones announced by the health authorities at once.
According to Dhaka South and Dhaka North City Corporation sources, the zone-based lockdown is not possible unless they are assigned a specific zone-based area at a time, UNB reports.
Authorities are waiting for directives from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam told UNB that unless they receive order to lockdown a specific area of a specific zone, they cannot do anything.
“No specific decision has been taken about the lockdown. We have asked the Ministry of Health to specify the exact area for locking down,” he said.
He also noted that pinpointing locations is necessary because it is not possible to lockdown a whole area at once due to their size.
He, however, assured that it will not take long to implement the lockdown once proper instructions are issued.
“We won't take much time to work once we get the mapping. We have prepared 26 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Once designated, it will take 48 to 72 hours to implement the lockdown,” he said.
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Chief Executive Shah Emdadul Haque reiterated that the corporation received no official instruction about lockdown. "We will implement the lockdown once we get instructions,” he told UNB.
Earlier in a meeting of the National Technical Committee for coronavirus prevention, it was decided to mark 45 areas in both city corporations as red zones – 17 in DNCC and 28 in DSCC.
‘Economic activities won’t stop in red zones’
DGHS Director General Prof Dr Abul Kalam Azad told UNB that there may have been misunderstanding about the zoning and lockdown procedures.
“The issue of zoning of 45 areas in Dhaka city corporations was under discussion at the National Technical Committee. However, there was no official decision (about lockdown), it may have been a misunderstanding,” he clarified.
He noted that the committee intended to lockdown East Rajabajar in DNCC and Wari in DSCC alongside Gazipur, Narayanganj and Narsingdi upazila initially. “Lockdown has already been implemented in almost all those locations. Wari area will be locked down soon.”
“We are thinking that wherever we declare red zone, economic activities will continue there,” he added.
While talking about the issue with UNB, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD) Minister Md Tazul Islam said the areas should be divided in sub-zones.
“Severely infected areas should be divided into sub-zones instead of locking down the whole area. If one lakh people live in a ward and 200 of them are infected, then it will be easier to work only by locking down the area where these 200 people live,” he told UNB.
He said that the Health Ministry has the authority to declare red, yellow and green zones. “The Local Government division is not authorised to designate them or divide them into sub-zones.”
The minister mentioned that all mayors of city corporations have been instructed to fully implement lockdowns once they are given the responsibility.
