Lockdown a welcome break for some in Uttarakhand

The statewide lockdown in Uttarakhand to contain the coronavirus outbreak may have given some a feeling of being cooped up, but has also given others the much-needed break from the daily grind to spend quality time with their families.

While some residents regret the restrictions as they cannot follow the routine of going to office and chatting with colleagues, there are others for whom the lockdown has come as a welcome break.

"I have finally got a chance to reconnect with my family within the four walls of my home and go back to activities I was not getting enough time for," said Vijay Negi a businessman who had to shut his garment shop in the heart of the town due to the lockdown.

"Now I am spending more time with my wife in the mornings, giving a fresh lick of paint to the flowerpots in our balcony, trimming the plants or mowing the grass in our lawn," he said.

His wife is all smiles as she has waited long for these relaxed hours.

There are residents who have decided to utilise the free time at their disposal reading books, watching movies at home or just conversing with their wives and children who are also at home with their schools and colleges closed.

However, N N Bhatt is an unhappy man ever since the 'Janta Curfew' was imposed on Sunday, confining him to his home.

"I thought it would pass off in a day. I confined myself at home by my own choice but it was extended in the evening to an eleven-day lockdown. I love to socialise. I find it really hard to spend all day at home meeting no one," Bisht, a peon at a government office here, said.