Silent Valley on the first day of lockdown (Photos)

Published On: August 20, 2020 07:00 PM NPT By: Monika Malla

Sundhara area in the capital wears a deserted look on the first day of the lockdown enforced by the local administration to contain the spread of COVID-19 on Thursday. Photo: Monika Malla/ Republica

KATHMANDU, Aug 20: Local administration in three districts of the Kathmandu Valley have enforced the prohibitory order for the next seven days starting Wednesday midnight after a sudden spike in the cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

All non-essential services and activities were brought to a complete halt, while both public and private vehicles except those belonging to essential services stayed off the road. Security personnel conducted checkings in a number of places to effectively check non-essential movement of people and vehicles.

According to the Metropolitan Police Office (MPO), a total of 1860 pedestrians were held in the Valley for breaching the order. Similarly, 821 two-wheelers and 282 four-wheelers were seized for not abiding by the prohibitory order.

Kathmandu streets and otherwise busy market places looked deserted on the very first day of the prohibitory order. Since the administration warned of stringent action against those breaching the order amid heightened risk of he COVID-19 infection, most people in Kathmandu Valley had chosen to stay home.

Here are some photos taken by Monika Malla, a Republica photojournalist in Jorpati, Baneshwor, Basantapur and Sundhara areas in the Valley on Thursday.