Maharashtra lockdown 4 guidelines: Only red and non-red zones, what's allowed and what's not allowed

Mumbai: The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government on Tuesday issued new guidelines for coronavirus lockdown 4.0, dividing the entire state into red and non-red zones. The new guidelines would come into effect from May 22.  

The categorization of various areas into red and non-red zones has been done for the purpose of allowing or restricting business and other activities in view of coronavirus pandemic. During the earlier phases of lockdown, the state (as other parts of the country) were divided into red, orange and green zones. 

The Municipal corporations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (which includes Mumbai, Thane and surrounding towns), as well as civic bodies of Pune, Solapur, Aurangabad, Malegaon, Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Akola and Amravati fall in the red zone, it said.

All these areas have high number of coronavirus cases. All the remaining areas of the state fall in the non-red zone, an official statement said. The government had declared on Sunday that lockdown will continue till May 31.

In both red and non-red zones, municipal/district authorities will demarcate containment zones. Municipal commissioners and district collectors will have the power to identify residential colonies, mohallas, slums, buildings or groups of buildings, lanes, wards, police station areas, villages or small clusters of villages as containment zones.

But for declaring larger areas, such as a whole taluka or municipal corporation, as containment zones, they will have to consult the Chief Secretary of the state.

In containment zones only essential activities will be allowed. No movement of people in and out of these zones will be allowed except for medical emergencies and maintaining the supply of essential goods. Shops, malls, commercial establishments and industries in the red zone, which are nor allowed to operate, can remain open between 9 am to 5 pm only for upkeep and maintenance of materials, furniture, plant and machinery and pre-monsoon protection of property and goods.

No production and commercial activity will be allowed, the guidelines said. However, home delivery from restaurants and kitchens will be allowed. In non-red zones, no permission will be needed from any government authority to undertake or perform permitted activities.

Sports complexes, stadia and other public open spaces will be permitted to remain open for individual exercises but group activities and events involving spectators will not be allowed.

Physical exercises and other activities will be allowed provided social distancing is followed. Markets and shops in non-red zones will remain open from 9 am to 5 pm, and if there is crowding or violation of social distancing norms, they will be closed down, the guidelines warn.

In red zones, all government offices including sub-registrar and Regional Transport Offices, offices of university/colleges for non-teaching work, staff involved in evaluation of answer sheets, declaration of results and development of e-content will function at five per cent strength or with a minimum of 10 employees, whichever is more, the guidelines said.

As of Monday evening, Maharashtra had recorded 35,058 coronavirus cases, the highest in the country. 

Allowed & Not Allowed List

Maharashtra to have Red Zone and Non-Red Zone. According to the new guidelines, there will be no Green or Orange Zone. 

Red Zone 

1) All essential shops which are allowed & permitted to remain open before this order shall continue to do so.

2) All Non -essential shops will be allowed to continue as per relaxation & guidelines issued before this order & are in operation as per the policy of respective Municipal corporation. Liquor shops will continue to operate if permitted, home delivery or other wise

3)The shops/ malls/ establishments /industries which are not allowed to open in the red zones , will be permitted to remain open from 9am to 5pm. only for the purpose of upkeep & maintenance  of material/machinery/furniture etc. and for pre-monsoon  protection activities of property and goods. However, no other activity (commercial/ production) will be permitted.

4)E-commerce activity for essential as well as non-essential items & material.

5) All industries units which are permitted to operate

6) All construction sites (Public/ Pvt) which are allowed to remain open & operational. All such pre-monsoon works (Public/Pvt) which are allowed.

7)  Taxi/Cab/ Aggregator - No
Rickshaw - NO
Four-wheeler Only essential 1 +2
Two-wheeler Only essential one rider

8) Home delivery restaurants/ Kitchen

9) All emergency staff, including health & medical treasury, Disaster Management, police Food & Civil Supply, Municipal services can operate at the level as per the need. All other Govt offices (including commissionerates & Directorates) including sub-registrar & RTO offices & Dy RTO  offices, offices of University/ colleges for non-teach purpose, staff involved in the evaluation of answer sheets, declaration of results  & development of e-content will function at 5% strength minimum 10 employees whichever is more. Central Govt offices will continue to function as per the existing permitted norms.

Non-Red Zones

All activities, which are not in clause 4 of this order & which are not explicitly prohibited or banned shall be permitted in non-Red zones with the following conditions.

1)  No permission is needed from any govt, authority to undertake or perform permitted activity.
2) Sports Complex, Stadia & other public open spaces will be permitted to remain open for individual exercise. However, spectators & group activity will not be allowed. All physical exercise & other activities will be done with social distancing norms.

3) All public & private transports will undertake passenger management as follows
i. Two-wheeler; 1 rider
ii. Three-wheeler 1+2
iii. Four-wheeler 1 +2

4)Intra-district bus services will be allowed within a maximum 50% capacity per bus with physical distancing & sanitation measures.

5) Regarding inter-district bus service orders will be issued separately

6)All Markets/shops will remain open from 9 am to 5 pm. If any crowding failure of social distancing norms is seen the authorities will immediately close such markets/shops