Unlockdown in Pune: Offices, parks, restaurants open for limited hours, curbs on movement of residents after 5 pm

A day after Maharashtra announced a five-level unlockdown plan, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Saturday declared partial opening up of most major activities, allowing functioning of private offices, restaurants, gardens, social, religious and entertainment programmes and general body meetings with limited attendance.

However, educational institutions, indoor sports, cinema and theatres will remain shut. There will also be restrictions on movement of local residents after 5 pm.

According to the state’s five-level restriction easing plan, districts and municipal corporations will be classified into five levels every week, and they will have varying degrees of restrictions and relaxations depending on the Covid-19 positivity rate and occupancy of oxygen-equipped beds.

Earlier in the day, Pune Collector Rajesh Deshmukh said that areas under Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations will see ‘Level 3’ relaxations while areas in rest of the district (Pune Rural and municipal councils) will see ‘Level 4’ relaxations.

Read | Unlock in Pune Rural: Business, movement likely to be allowed till 5 pm

“After going through the criteria set by the state government, we have found that the PMC and PCMC fall under Level 3, while Pune Rural will be classified under Level 4,” said Deshmukh.

Pune Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar said, “The average positivity rate of coronavirus cases in the city is 6.11 per cent while oxygen-equipped bed occupancy is 27.47 per cent. So, the PMC is relaxing the restrictions imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the city.”

The same set of rules will be applicable to the Pune Cantonment Board and Kirkee Cantonment Board, he said, “There will be prohibitory orders against more than five people coming together till 5 pm and thereafter, there will be curfew-like situation with no public movement allowed without a valid reason,” said Kumar.

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The PMC has also extended the timings for all essential category stores till 4 pm on all days and for non-essential category stores only on weekdays.

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What is allowed:

E-commerce services can operate.

Outdoor games allowed for four hours, from 5 am to 9 am. Gardens and playgrounds open for walking and cycling on all days for these four hours.

Restaurants, bars, food courts have been allowed to operate on weekdays till 4 pm with 50 per cent sitting capacity for dine-in facility. They can provide parcel or home delivery facility on weekends till 11 pm. Liquor shops will be open till 4 pm on weekdays and can do home delivery on weekends.

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Gyms, salons, beauty parlours, spas and wellness centres allowed to function with 50 per cent sitting capacity. Customers can visit only by prior appointments till 4 pm. Use of air-conditioners not allowed on the premises.

All private offices and government offices have been allowed to function with 50 per cent attendance till 4 pm. Government offices in essential categories can operate with 100 per cent attendance.

Social, religious and entertainment programmes allowed with attendance of maximum 50 persons on weekdays till 4 pm. Weddings allowed with maximum of 50 guests, Only 20 persons allowed during funerals.

Meetings of cooperative bodies allowed with attendance of 50 per cent members.

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All construction activities allowed in the city. Labourers travelling from outside to the construction site will have to return from the work site by 4 pm.

Public transport services to resume with PMPML allowed to ply 50 per cent of the sitting capacity. No standing passengers allowed. Travel in private vehicles, buses and railways is allowed but if the vehicle is stopping in locations with a high positivity rate then every passenger will have to carry an e-pass.

Export-oriented units including MSMEs that need to fulfill export obligations, essential good manufacturing units, all continuous process industries, manufacturers of items that are significant to national security and defence, data centres, cloud service providers, IT services supporting critical infrastructure and services allowed to function. These units will have to operate with 50 per cent staff till 4 pm. The staff should commute only on company buses.

The same set of relaxations are likely to be implemented in Pimpri-Chinchwad.

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In Pune Rural areas, classified as level 5, non-essential shops will not be allowed to function and restaurants will be allowed to provide only home delivery and parcel services. Social gatherings will not be allowed and marriages shall not have more than 25 people.

In public transport, only 50 per cent of passengers will be allowed. Manufacturing plants will be allowed to run at 50 per cent capacity.

Ajay Jadhav

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, Pune, a role that reflects his seniority and editorial Authority. He is a highly specialized journalist whose work demonstrates significant Expertise in the critical areas of urban development, governance, and sustainability, often linking policy to its on-the-ground impact across Maharashtra. Expertise Senior Editorial Role: As an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Ajay Jadhav contributes to the editorial direction and maintains high standards of Trustworthiness and quality in his reporting. Core Specialization: His reporting focuses intensely on the intersection of infrastructure, politics, and social development, with expertise in: Infrastructure and Civic Issues: Provides in-depth coverage of crucial development and urban governance topics. His work includes reporting on the glaring contrast between planned infrastructure projects (like private helipads) and the lack of basic facilities (schools and hospitals) in politically significant areas, highlighting accountability gaps. Politics and Governance: Consistently reports on political developments, scrutinizing decision-making that affects public life and development initiatives in Maharashtra. Sustainable Development & Environment: Demonstrates a commitment to responsible development by reporting on initiatives that successfully protect the environment while ensuring essential infrastructure development. Investigative and Policy Impact: National Impact: Ajay has written notable research articles on Conservancy staff which achieved a nationwide impact by directly contributing to the framing of policies aimed at improving the working conditions of waste-handling laborers. This demonstrates his capacity for impactful, evidence-based journalism. Additional Interests Personal Engagement: His background as a trekker and sports enthusiast suggests a keen personal interest in the environment and outdoor spaces, which likely informs his detailed and passionate reporting on sustainable development and civic issues. Ajay Jadhav's sustained focus on governance, his track record of high-impact policy-shaping research, and his critical eye for infrastructure gaps establish him as a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis in Pune and Maharashtra. ... Read More

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Covid Second Wave COVID-19 India Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Pune Municipal Corporation