Assam Secretariat wears deserted look on first day of Total Lockdown in Guwahati

Guwahati: Assam's Secretariat, usually a centre of buzz in the capital city Dispur, bore a deserted look in the early hours of the morning on Monday on the first complete day of lockdown that came into effect on the stroke of Sunday midnight.

A stroll through the street of the capital revealed to The Sentinel Digital that few had ventured outside on the first day of what is expected to be a 14-day period of complete lockdown. Personnel could be seen stopping the few motorists that were passing by -- to check whether they truly had any business to be out on the streets on the lockdown day.

This is a stark contrast to the usual crowds that throng the seat of power in Assam. For instance, Dispur was the site of the biggest protests during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) movement when thousands gathered in front of the premises to mark their dissent. Although that was only 6 months ago, the ensuing months have seen a complete turnaround, as far as life in the city is concerned, and the silence of Dispur is symbolic of the crippling malaise that has been brought on by the po

Likewise, other parts of the city too bore a deserted look, and very few vehicles were seen on the city roads, usually abuzz with activity. The pavements, usually packed with shoppers and small mini universes of trade and commerce where buyer and seller usually engage in the practice of haggling, were quieter still.

Post noon, the city residents continued their daily lockdown life, yet fear and apprehensions have continued to run high due to the outbreak of corona in the city. Areas, where cases of locals being infected have been found, have been understandably gripped by panic. In certain 'prone' areas, such as Silpukhri for instance, where a vegetable seller tested positive, people are contemplating whether to head towards the nearest COVID-19 Counselling 

The lockdown, hailed as timely by some, and as a hindrance by others, has been called into effect by the Government to arrest the spread of the coronavirus in Guwahati, which has reported a massive spike in the number of cases in recent times.

At the same time, the Assam Government has laboriously increased the number of tests conducted. Yesterday, the number of tests conducted stood at 2,85,299, with over 10,000 tests being conducted within a time period of 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the number of cases in Assam as on Monday stood at 7,492, even as the number of discharged patients rose to 5,088. So far, as many as 11 persons have died due to virus-related complications.

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