COVID19 Lockdown: What are green, yellow, and red zones and how will impact life in India

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India has reportedly held discussion with chief ministers across the country regarding the extension of the 21-day lockdown which ends on the 14th of April 2020. The Prime Minister imposed the lockdown on the 25th of March 2020, a day after he addresses the South Asian nation regarding the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The discussion between the Prime Minister and chief ministers across the country was four hours long. During the discussion, Mr Modi said that the country has to maintain the equilibrium between ‘Jahan’ meaning world outside the house and ‘Jaan’ meaning the lives of people. The Prime Minister emphasized the fact that restrictions across the country will preserve lives and it will promote social distancing.

What is ‘Smart Lockdown’?

A notable government official of the country stated that the recent formulation by the Prime Minister suggests that the Indian government may adopt “smart lockdown.” By the looks of it, Smart Lockdown comprise of severe restrictions across the areas, districts or states which are affected by Coronavirus. Additionally, smart lockdown also suggests that there will be partial lockdown in the areas which aren’t affected with Coronavirus.

In the meantime, another government official stated that the PM is also taking demarcating India into consideration where the areas will be stated as yellow, red, and green, on the basis of the Coronavirus outbreak.

What are the three zones?

Green Zone: The areas deemed as the green zone will see optimum relaxation. These areas can function without any restriction such as in-house lodging necessities but social distancing must be followed.

Orange Zone: There will be minimum activities in these zones such as farm products harvest, limited public transport, etc. Also, there are very limited places which will come under the Orange zone.

Red Zone: There will not be any sort of activities in zones classified as Red Zone. The hotspot areas across the country where Coronavirus has affected significantly will fall under the Red Zone category.