Turn Shalimar Bagh into red zone: RWAs

NEW DELHI: While Delhiites in many parts of the city are getting ready for more lockdown relaxations, a group of 12 residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) in Shalimar Bagh and local councillors have written to the chief minister urging him to declare the entire area a red zone.
According to the RWAs, 110 active cases, including 18 shopkeepers and 10 vegetable vendors linked to Azadpur Mandi, have been detected in their areas.As the area lies in close proximity to Azadpur Mandi, even residential quarters witness a lot of non-destined traffic, they claimed.
Ritesh Dewan, general secretary of Delhi Residents’ Forums and a member of Shalimar Bagh RWA, said residents had urged the North Delhi Municipal Corporation and Delhi government to immediately declare Shalimar Bagh a hotspot and ban entry and exit of people.
Tilak Raj Kataria, a local councillor who is also leader of the house in the north corporation, said new cases had been coming up in the area quite frequently. Dewan, who lives in CA block, said more than 12 cases were reported recently at Majlis Park Street in a single day.
The letter to the chief minister and the North West district authorities also argued against an order to use Fortis Hospital in Shalimar Bagh as a Covid-19 facility as it was located in a densely populated area. “The declaration has led to anxiety in the area. The facility is surrounded by AA and BK blocks, Sewa Basti and Azadpur Mandi that has already become a vulnerable spot,” Kataria said.
A large number of traders and vendors who frequent Azadpur Mandi live in Shalimar Bagh and surrounding areas, the councillor said. “A spurt in cases has prompted many RWAs to demand that the entire area be locked down and no new relaxation be allowed here for the time being,” Kataria said.