FIGHTING COVID -19

Looking for a spark in the dark  Zones mapped, clarity may emerge on Sunday  30.04.2020

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

With less than 100 hours for the lockdown to end and restart of factory operations, industries in the state continued to grope in the dark with the lone ray of hope coming from the chief minister on Wednesday that some factories will be allowed to reopen on Monday.

It’s akin to waiting at a traffic signal for the green light. If you are an industrialist with a factory in the state, you will know under which zone your factory will fall under — red, amber or green, by Sunday, alongside other operating guidelines to commence production from Monday.

While the neighbouring Kerala released an exit strategy report on April 6 and Karnataka on April 8, the Tamil Nadu government is still gathering information at ground level and drawing up a colourcoded map which captures the enormity of Covid-19 cases in an area.

Officials from departments of health, revenue administration and disaster management and Tamil Nadu e-governance agency have mapped and colour-coded areas based on the number of Covid-19 positive cases, sources said. The green zones will be allowed to reopen first and then amber with severe restrictions and red will be allowed only if the parameters turn green.

Until April 23, a total of 187 out of 388 blocks in the state were categorised as green blocks where there are nil cases in 28 days. While 173 blocks categorised as orange blocks where less than 15 cases reported, and the 28 blocks are under red category. The numbers are dynamic. Red is where more than 15 cases or doubling time is less than four days, orange (less than 15 cases) and green (nil cases in the last 28 days), based on the severity of Covid-19.

This complex, yet dynamic, map is getting ready. This will pave way for the reopening locked factory gates.

The expert committee for exit strategy headed by state finance secretary S Krishnan has concluded two sessions with industrialists and MSME sector and expected to make a presentation before the chief minister on Friday.

Though continuous processing industries are allowed to reopen, the operational guidelines coupled with lack of support from police and other agencies scuttled the industry’s requirement to go full throttle.

Coimbatore collector K Rajamani said that the government sought suggestions on reopening of industries in the district. “The government also wanted to know the pros and cons of reopening the industries”, he said.

Arid Virudhunagar district will start collating details on resumption of operations. “The daily wage workforce in these sectors is between 5 lakh to 6 lakh. We have to be careful in analysing the pros and cons of opening various industries as any small mistake would result in an outbreak. We will discuss with the industries and submit a report,” Virudhunagar district collector R Kannan said.

We have to be careful in analysing the pros and cons... as any small mistake would result in an outbreak

R Kannan, VIRUDHUNAGAR

DISTRICT COLLECTOR