Corona precautions in Drosh a joke due to laxity of admin

DROSH: Corona precautions in Drosh become a joke due to laxity of admin. While other parts of Lower Chitral and Upper Chitral are observing strict lockdown and following the standard operating procedures (SOPs), there is still a town where the district administration seems not interested in getting the precautions and SOPs enforced.

Yes, this is the second biggest town where the violation of lockdown and SOPs continues for the last so many days even after emergence of COVID-19 cases in the area.

The local administration and police have failed to ensure the implementation of the government orders to check the spread of the coronavirus in the town.

The administrations in both the districts have so far imposed fines and registered cases besides sealing shops for violating the SOPs. Even small shops in far-off villages are being told to close by 4pm or face court cases and fines.

But strangely, in Drosh corona precautions have become a joke as shops in the bazaar are open even after the specified hours, traffic is running and huge number of people are seen in the markets throughout the day neglecting the instructions issued by the government.

As a result of the government laxity, now people in Drosh have taken the Covid-19 outbreak as a joke. The negligence of the local administration and police have put the lives of the general public at risk as the SOPs are not being followed.

In Drosh, four cases of COVID-19 have so far been reported within the last a few days. They included two women belonging to Damil and two boys from the Drosh town.

It is also learned from reliable sources that a number of shopkeepers hailing from Mohmand, Bajaur and other districts have reached Drosh and at least five of them, whose names are available with ChitralToday, were not even quarantined and hence they started their businesses in the local bazaar.

Local people demanded that the deputy commissioner Lower Chitral should take immediate action to ensure full implementation of all the SOPs and precautions for the safety of the public.