Pune: Despite continuously appealing people to stay home and not step out, citizens have not been following the norms announced by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) pertaining to COVID-19.
However, the PMC has now found a solution to address this issue in a typical Puneri way. The civic body will paste stickers in areas where home-quarantined patients stay and spread awareness.
Puneri Patya, recognised as the essence of Puneri culture, and often considered a way of life, is seen in the heart of the city. These patya or signages are famous across Maharashtra and are often referred to with sarcasm. Now, PMC have now come up with their very own Puneri Patya to spread awareness among Puneites.
Posters, banners and stickers will ask Puneites to not roam around in the areas saying 'There is a Corona patient staying nearby' (Ithe phiru naka, Corona rugna ahe!). Such messages will be spread across the city, especially in the neighbourhood where positive patients are high in number.
This decision was taken by the authorities as citizens have not been listening to appeals made by PMC and the police. Following relaxation in the norms in the non-containment areas, citizens are becoming more enthusiastic and stepping out in large numbers.
The police have imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) of 1973, which prohibit an assembly of four or more people in an area. According to the law, every member of such 'unlawful assembly' can be booked for engaging in rioting. Despite that, citizens have been spotted roaming on the streets. The PMC is putting a quarantine stamp on the home-quarantined patients to identify them. Yet, quarantined patients were observed wandering around.
Additionally, Municipal Commissioner Rubal Agrawal said, "As citizens are not listening to the police and PMC administration, we have decided to stick bills across the city, where positive patients reside, and especially in the areas where home-quarantine patients live. The aim is to discourage citizens to come out of home and minimise COVID-19 risk in the city."
The number of COVID-19 patients is increasing in the containment areas as compared to other areas. For the past 10 days, PMC observed a 10 per cent rise in the number of patients in the non-containment areas.