Maharashtra: Demarcate containment areas, district officials told

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra govt on Saturday asked district administrators to demarcate containment areas within red and orange zones earmarked by the Centre in connection with the coronavirus outbreak, an official said on Saturday.

With the lockdown getting extended to May 13, the fresh guidelines lay down that the boundary of a containment zone will be a residential colony, mohalla, municipal ward, municipal zone, police station area or town in case of urban areas.

In case of rural areas, it should be a village, a cluster of villages, gram panchayat, group of police stations, blocks, the guidelines state.


In cities like Mumbai and Pune, the containment zones should be defined judiciously keeping in mind the capacity of administrative reach and control, the order said.

Giving details of the protocol within containment zones, the order said contact tracing, home or institutional quarantining will be done based on risk assessment by medical officers.

It said maximum precaution will be taken to ensure there is no movement of population in and out of these zones except for medical emergencies and for maintaining supply of essential goods and services.

It added that, in containment zones, movement of individuals will remain strictly prohibited between 7pm and 7am.

It said OPDs and clinics will not be permitted to operate, though they can function in red, orange and green zones with precautions like social distancing and other safety norms.

The order said that except in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Malegaon, activities like manufacturing of essential goods, medicines and devices, pharmaceuticals, IT hardware etc will be allowed with precautions like access control.

In rural areas all industrial activities will be permitted.

Private and govt offices will be permitted to function with limited staff in places apart from Mumbai, Pune and Malegaon regions.

In green zones, no travel will be allowed without authorised pass while buses will be allowed to operate, it said.