The Ranchi administration in the next 12 hours is set to reduce the size of the containment zone in the Covid-19 epicentre of Hindpiri following a survey of around 3,000 households in the area.

“We have completed a survey of around 3,000 households in the various localities and we will be providing relief to (some of) the areas by Thursday,” said a district official.

The likely areas include Purani Ranchi, Mujahid Nagar, Kohinoor Gali, Noor Nagar, Lake Road and parts of Nizam Nagar and Khet Muhhalla.

The official added that in the future, only areas with no cases for 28 days would be exempted from the containment zone. Restrictions in other areas will be lifted after health surveys which will be reviewed after every four days.

On Wednesday, a crowd of around 1,000 people assembled near Guru Nanak School Campus defying lockdown rules and demanded the complete opening up of Hindpiri — the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in the city. The protest at the control and command centre halted the installation of barricades in the earmarked areas.

Ranchi deputy development commissioner Ananya Mittal said the situation at the centre had been contained and the authorities were continuing with plans on shrinking the containment area.

Community leaders in Hindpiri alleged bias on part of the administration and said residents of the area were being targeted on purpose.

“Other areas aren’t sealed because of a single case of Covid-19. Hindpiri, on the other hand, was completely sealed soon after a positive case was detected from a specific locality,” Obaidullah Qasmi, a community leader, said while addressing the protesters.

Ranchi traffic SP Ajit Peter Dungdung tries to pacify a crowd of over 1,000 at Hindpiri, the Covid containment zone in the heart of the capital, late on Wednesday afternoon. The crowd had gathered to protest the barricades and the “inhuman lockdown” that they said were responsible for the death of Asif Gaddi, 18, a Hindpiri resident, earlier on Wednesday. According to reports, Asif had appendicitis and fever, but the technician of a hospital refused to carry out his ultrasound test without a Covid-19 test, and the boy died on way to RIMS. Hindpiri residents alleged that the stringent lockdown had created such panic, stigma and mobility hurdles in their area that people like Asif had to pay for these with their lives. Ranchi SSP Anish Gupta said the administration did want to remove barricades from some areas of Hindpiri where Covid-19 cases had either not been detected or patients had recovered, but residents demanded the removal of all barricades at once. “We told them that the barricades were for their own safety. The situation is normal now,” SSP Gupta said. Text by Raj Kumar Prashant Mitra

The Opposition took strong exception on the turn of events and described it a complete failure of the state government.

State BJP president Deepak Prakash said: “If IAS and IPS officers are being attacked for discharging their duties and no action is taken against the guilty, then it proves that the state government and its machinery has surrendered itself in front of criminals and anti-social elements. RMC workers, CRPF personnel, a police officer and now senior administrative officials all have been attacked but no action has been taken against anyone. What kind of government is this wherein the very same people are being attacked who are discharging their duties?”