Haridwar gets mounted cavalry squad to rein in curfew violators
District police officials said they have started with four mounted squads, comprising two personnel each, who have been deployed at sensitive and congested clusters of Har-Ki-Pauri city Mela zone, Kankhal and suburban Jwalapur
The administration in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar has, from Wednesday, deployed mounted cavalry squad to check on Covid lockdown violators.
District police officials said they have started with four mounted squads, comprising two personnel each, who have been deployed at sensitive and congested clusters of Har-Ki-Pauri city Mela zone, Kankhal and suburban Jwalapur.
“The directions came from the state director general of police. These squads will also appeal to people and educate them about adhering to Covid curfew guidelines as well as social distancing, and wearing face masks. They will also penalise the violators,” said Superintendent of police (city) Kamlesh Upadhyay.
On Tuesday, 1,390 people were penalised, and 17 were seized over violation of Covid curfew which is in place till June 1.
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“At core Mela zone of Har-Ki-Pauri and adjacent Ganga ghats markets of Bada Bazar, Moti Bazar, Jhanvi market, Upper Road and Shiv Moorti square area, police are keeping tabs on Covid-19 protocol violators,” said station house officer, police station city, Amarjeet Singh.
Meanwhile, a section of traders has started opposing the move of police to penalise the violators. Staging a protest at Bada Bazar, close to Har-Ki-Pauri, under the aegis of Bada Bazar Vyapar Mandal, traders alleged that police are harassing traders, vendors, locals, and pilgrims in name of Covid curfew.
“For the past 14 months, we have suffered heavily because of the pandemic. Shops were closed again a month ago. Traders who just want to keep a watch on their shops or are just standing there are being penalised, which is not fair,” said trader division spokesperson Tej Prakash Sahu.