India’s streets witnessed an eerie quiet on Sunday, as millions of people across the country stayed indoors, and a bare minimum number of vehicles plied on the road following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal for a 'Janata curfew' to help check the spread of coronavirus.
As the 14-hour Janata curfew got underway at 7 am, people kept themselves indoors as part of the social distancing exercise. All markets and establishments except those dealing in essential goods and services are closed for the day. The curfew will end at 9 pm.
In the national capital, roads were deserted with very few private vehicles and buses plying. Vendors were off the roads in the morning hours.. Commercial capital Mumbai also observed the restrictions with the usually bustling western and eastern express highways and other arterial roads wearing an empty look.
Passenger train services across the country’s many train stations were put on hold beginning Saturday night and the restriction will continue till 10 pm on Sunday, while all suburban train services will be reduced to a bare minimum as well. Metro services, including in Delhi and Mumbai, have been suspended for the day. Air carriers like GoAir, IndiGo and Vistara have also curtailed domestic operations on Sunday.
Traders' body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) had earlier announced that they will keep their establishments shut across the country for the Janata curfew.
Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu came to a virtual standstill with roads, bus and rail stations deserted and retail stores closed. Although some vehicular movement could be seen in major roads of the State, these were largely private vehicles and the numbers were miniscule. Both state-run and private buses, as well as autos and taxis did not operate in most parts of Tamil Nadu.
Arterial roads, including the Anna Salai and the GST Road in Chennai, which usually see a serpentine queue of vehicles during peak hours, were empty. The Koyambedu wholesale and retail market was shut. The scenes were similar in other cities and towns of the state such as Coimbatore, Tiruchirappalli and Madurai.
However, the local body-run 'Amma Canteens' were open which came as a boon to migrant labourers and workers since all other eateries were shut.
Mount Road, Chennai Image Credit: Sanjevee Sadagopan
Marina Beach, Chennai Image Credit: Sanjevee Sadagopan
Essential services like milk distribution and hospitals (including the state-run Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital which treats COVID-19 patients and the Stanley) functioned as usual.
Kerala: Kerala is under complete lockdown and roads in the state capital and other parts wore a deserted look on Sunday. The self-imposed curfew was welcomed by the Left government in the state.
Barring a few vehicles, roads in major cities including Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam were empty. State-run transport buses were off the roads while Kochi Metro Rail also stopped its service along with private buses and the auto-rickshaws.
Fire department officials were seen spraying water mixed with disinfectant at many places in Thiruvananthapuram city. Some of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) offices across the state have also initiated cleaning of their premises.
At many places police personnel were seen discouraging those who came out of their houses and spoke to them on the importance of social distancing.
Karnataka: Streets in Bengaluru and other parts of the state were empty on Sunday.
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Sunday that all international passengers are being screened, and it has been decided to screen all domestic passengers at airports from now on.
Trinity Circle, Bengaluru
Old Airport Road, Bengaluru
The Chief Minister asked people not to fear or panic and go for stocking of food grains and other essential substances and said "the government has taken care in this regard."
Telangana: Roads in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana wore a deserted look on Sunday as the Janata curfew proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help check the spread of coronavirus began. Shops and eateries remained closed in the state.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao supported PM Modi’s call. State-run Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) buses were not operating even as the Hyderabad Metro Rail remained closed, but five trains have been kept on stand-by to attend to any emergency. KCR had appealed to owners of shops, malls and other commercial establishments to down shutters voluntarily.
Nampally, outside Telangana Assembly, Hyderabad
Ameerpet, Hyderabad
Andhra: Following Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy’s support to the curfew, streets across Andhra were vacant. The Hindu reported that all roads in Nellore were deserted. Andhra’s first coronavirus was reported from Nellore.
According to the New Indian Express, buses remained at Vijayawada’s Pandit Nehru Bus Station, and the city’s usually busy Benz circle and Maddilpalem junction were deserted.
With PTI inputs