10 bridges connecting south and north Madurai shut

TNN | Mar 31, 2020, 04.35 AM IST

Madurai: The city police have closed all the 10 bridges, that connect the southern and northern parts of Madurai, in a stricter measure to control crowd movement in the wake of Covid-19. Earlier, police had only made deployments at important junctions and allowed those who came to purchase essentials.

Meanwhile, corporation officials closed down around 50 shops in various parts of the city including Ellis Nagar, Kamarajar Salai, South Veli Street and South Marret Street for operating the stores by violating restrictions and without streamlining customers with the mandatory social distancing.

A large number of residents came out of their houses and roamed around the city to purchase vegetables, meat, fruits and groceries. Most of the markets represented a normal day as people threw curfew restrictions to the wind. Appalled over the people’s behaviour, police ushered in stricter measures to close down all the bridges.

Except those like the AV Bridge, Yaanaikkal Puthupalam, PTR Bridge and Kamarajar Bridge, where people are let in for essential purposes, others like the Kuruvikkaran Salai Bridge, Temporary Road in Vaigai river next to Kurivikkaran, Obulapadithurai bridge, MGR Bridge, Amma bridge and LIC Bridge were completely shut. Good vehicles carrying essentials, vehicles with pass and ambulances were allowed to pass.

A police officer said, “Monday was better as there were fewer vehicles on the road due to stringent restrictions. People start violating social distancing norms even if we relax the measures a bit.”

A large number of shopkeepers were arrested for opening shops, violating curfew norms. They were released later. Although there is an instruction not to open grocery stories in East Masi Street for retail, many had opened on Sunday morning, causing heavy crowd. Many shopkeepers were booked by the city police. They were strictly warned against open shops only at night for wholesale trading. A total of 43 cases were registered on Sunday, mostly against shopkeepers, for violating the restrictions.

Madurai district police registered 225 cases against people for wandering unnecessarily on roads and arrested 294 people. A total of 196 vehicles were impounded.