Bhubaneswar: No shutdown, areas on city outskirts go about business as usual

BHUBANESWAR: Life went on as usual for rural people even as urban areas witnessed a weekend shutdown on Saturday. However, some shops and eateries in market places falling under panchayats remained closed.
People in rural areas were seen sitting together under big trees or meeting places during the day, when the temperature was rising. Shops were mostly open.
People also visited other villages for different works. Villagers were also seen visiting market places which do not fall under urban areas for buying their daily essentials.
“The shutdown is in city areas, so we don’t have any problem in travelling in rural areas. We continued our work as usual. If rural people do not obey the Covid norms strictly, the government may impose shutdown here too,” said Manoj Routray of Nayagarh district.
However, some market places which do not come under urban bodies closed their shops spontaneously during the weekend shutdown. Some of them were also under the impression that the shutdown is for every part of the state. Whether it was Ganjam or Sambalpur, such instances were found in most areas.
“We were planning to visit Berhampur for shopping as a marriage ceremony in my family is round the corner, but we changed our plan because of the shutdown,” said Sibaram Bisoyi, a youth from Ganjam.
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