India likely to be divided into 3 zones post lockdown

New Delhi, Apr 11: Lifting a lockdown is a tougher call, when compared to announcing one. A decision on how restrictions would be eased or whether it would happen at all will be conveyed by the Prime Minister closer to April 14.

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is meeting with the Chief Ministers today to hear out their plans and suggestions on what is to be done in their respective states once the lockdown ends on April 14.

The PM has held several meetings with the top brass in the past week to discuss the lockdown and the measures to be taken post-April 14. Two key considerations were considered during these deliberations, officials familiar with the development told OneIndia. There is the question of life and there is livelihood and both are equally important.

Officials said that the lockdown needed to be lifted in a staggered manner as it had to be ensured that India goes not go into negative growth. Most officials said that a balance had to be stuck in a situation such as this. Lives have to be saved, but it was also important to revive economic activity, officials told the PM.

Officials suggested that in order to revive economic activity, the nation had to be divided into three zones. The red zone would be the one with the most number of coronavirus cases and these zones would remain locked down. In the yellow zone, where the limited number of cases are reported, activity would resume, but the movement would be heavily monitored. In the green zones, where no coronavirus activity is reported, the officials suggested that normalcy should return.

The assessment shows that in India at least 400 districts have not reported any COVID-19 related activity. These districts could be opened up for activity, officials suggested.

However, there shall be no inward or outward movement of people in these districts to ensure that new cases do not crop up the official cited above said.