Berhampur: As Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has emphasized on social distancing to prevent the spread of highly contagious Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Ganjam district administration has adopted an innovative way to ensure people maintain social distancing whey they go for essential purchases during lockdown.
Now, the shop owners selling essential commodities like grocery items, fruits, milk and medicines will have to draw circles outside their stores with each shape placed a few feet from each other.
The customers need to stand inside the circles and wait for their turn to buy basic supplies.
The initiative has been introduced today in the areas coming under the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) and other areas will adopt it simultaneously, said Ganjam Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange.
Kulange, who is very closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation in the district, has guided a shopkeeper in Lanjipalli area of BeMC on how to draw circles in front of his store and ensure social distancing as people queue up to buy and stock up on essential items during the lockdown.
Meanwhile, other shops in the area have started following it.