Padarayanapura containment zones: It’s like a siege, say residents

Residents of the four separate containment zones at Padarayanapura said they were living in a netherworld.

They are not only physically cut off from the rest of the society but are also left to fend for themselves with little help from the government.

Parts of Padarayanapura have been in lockdown for 56 days so far. “The situation here is dire,” admitted Khizer, a social worker from Swaraj Abhiyan who lives near a containment zone.

For latest updates and live news on coronavirus, click here

“In some of the longest existing containment zones such as those in Arafat Nagar, people have run out of food and are totally dependent on handouts and donations to survive. Despite the BBMP’s promises that essential goods would be allowed into the zones, nothing has come so far,” Khizer added.

The shortages extend to water. Streets connected to the Cauvery lines get water once in two days, often at 3 am.

CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL COVERAGE ONLY ON DH

“If you miss this supply, you are stuck. On one hand, the government asks us to wash our hands constantly and maintain cleanliness. On the other hand, we are not given the water to do so,” Khizer added.

In other places, residents are dependent on a communal tap. Meanwhile, at 8th Main Road,residents were in a state of anxiety about the future. “Our lives are totally at the mercy of the police, explained Junaid, a techie.