On Monday, after some relaxations were imposed on lockdown in non-hotspot areas in Mumbai, some areas of the city witnessed traffic after a long time as people started heading to their workplaces.
A journalist from Hindustan Times shared picture of the traffic jam in Goregaon on Mumbai’s Western Express Highway.
Meanwhile, this is the scene at suburban Goregaon on Mumbai’s Western Express Highway on the morning of April 20. Picture by @satyabrataphoto for @htTweets @HTMumbai pic.twitter.com/71kdsL6Zov
— Sachin Kalbag (@SachinKalbag) April 20, 2020
Soon after the photo was shared on social media, it caught eyes of netizens who then started expressing their views on the jam.
One user said, “Sir, it is not a long jam and its only there because of the barricade.” Another user said, “Check google map, so many reds on the roads in Mumbai. Has lockdown been lifted there.”
Here’s what Twitterati had to say:
Sir, it is not a long jam and its only there bcos of the barricade. Most of them are headed to BKC and Lower Parel and I am sure most of them are from Financial Services without which we all would be even more in trouble. So let us not shout wolf pls. https://t.co/yOCleFX6oL
— Mufaddal Cementwala (@muffi19c) April 20, 2020
Migrants use cars to escape from Mumbai?
— S Ramachandran (@indiarama) April 20, 2020
Check google map, so many reds on the roads in Mumbai. Has lockdown been lifted there
— Nishith (@Nishith1608) April 20, 2020
Everyone is back to work? This is the direction going into town. Uff.
— Kiran Manral (@KiranManral) April 20, 2020
I can understand the urge to get back to normalcy but I’m not quite sure if the worst is behind us.
I have decided to WFH throughout May and will decide any further only in June.
I won’t be the first one to rush to office, could well be the last.
Better safe, than sorry. https://t.co/SKkLx47Yw1— Piyush Chaudhry (@piyushchaudhry) April 20, 2020
This is the problem with a partial lockdown lifting.
Not alleging but it can give rise to practices of bribe and get through.
25% staff allowed, who will ultimately audit if its 25% staff or 100% at a company campus. https://t.co/74QNuSTfDG
— Prem Doshi (@StocksResearch) April 20, 2020
Dont look like essential services. https://t.co/EvNch7IpbG
— Canteen Quarantino (@Sahil_Adhikaari) April 20, 2020
The Maharashtra government has issued guidelines for limited relaxation from April 20 to May 3. The government has listed selected activities that will be allowed in non-hotspot areas from April 20. In order to restart the economic cycle, some industrial and commercial activities will be restarted from the said date. All health services (including AYUSH) and activities related to fisheries, agriculture, plantation and allied activities, animal husbandry, etc., will remain functional. MNREGA workers will also be allowed, given they practice social distancing and use face masks.