By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Aug. 31: Prohibitory orders clamped by the respective District Administration Offices (DAOs) exercising the Local Administration Act continue in 48 districts across the country as of Sunday, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Two weeks ago, the federal government, through a Cabinet decision, had authorized the DAOs to enforce partial or full prohibitory order analysing the state of COVID-19 infection.
A complete ban has been imposed in 39 districts and a partial ban in nine others after the coronavirus cases were reported at the community level, Under Secretary and information officer Premlal Lamichhane said.
The Cabinet decision taken on August 17 has given authority to the local administrations to impose lockdown or prohibitory orders, he said.
According to the Home Ministry, a complete prohibitory order has been clamped in three districts of the Kathmandu Valley - Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur - and 36 districts, including that of the Terai. They include Saptari, Dhanusha, Parsa, Mahottari, Bara, Sunsari, Sarlahi, Siraha and Rautahat.
Similarly, Sankhuwasabha, Rupandehi, Chitwan, Dhankuta, Palpa, Ramechhap, Dolakha, Nawalparasi East, Sindhupalchowk, Gorkha, Arghakhanchi, Kaski, Kailali, Pyuthan, Dailekh, Kanchanpur, Dadeldhura, Tehrathum, Baitadi, Kapilvastu, Nawalparasi West, Dolpa, Morang, and Doti have imposed a complete lockdown.
Partial prohibitory orders have been imposed in Nuwakot, Jumla, Darchula, Jhapa, Makwanpur, Dhading, Tanahun, Baglung and Rukum West.
Lamichhane said the prohibitory orders imposed in Gulmi, Lamjung, Udayapur, Kalikot and Panchthar have been lifted.
Although the DAOs in Kathmandu Valley have imposed a complete ban in the Valley, the virus cases have been increasing every passing day, Narayan Tamang, a local resident of Nagarjun Municipality-1, Kathmandu said.
People’s mobility, especially in the morning and evening, in the Municipality has been increasing, he complained. “People with and without wearing mask, come out of their homes in the name of morning or evening walk,” he said.
Just two policemen deployed under the command of a Sub-Inspector from the police post at Nagarjun-1 have been doing the rounds on a motorbike but they are facing a tough time to implement the prohibitory order here, said Tamang.