West Bengal has over 2300 containment zones with Kolkata witnessing 20 zones, which is the lowest number of such zones in the last two months even as the city continued to register the highest number of cases.

Compared to last week, five new containment zones have been added in the city while 14 were dropped but the chief cause of worry lies in the fact that three slums have been included in the list. This is for the first time that so many slums have been demarcated as containment zones. Two of the slums are in Beliaghata and one in Chetla.

The highest number of containment zones are in Nadia followed by East Burdwan and North Dinajpur, as per the state government’s website ‘Egiye Bangla’.

According to the list that was uploaded this evening the total number of containment zones in West Bengal is 2304, of which Nadia has 396 such zones while East Burdwan has 350 containment areas.

In North Dinajpur there are 334 zones, Coochbehar has 212, while in West Midnapore 188, Birbhum 127 and Purulia 123 containment zones, the website stated.

The neighbouring districts, which recorded a maximum number of new cases, namely North 24 Parganas has 92 broad-based containment zones, Howrah 90, South 24 Parganas 56 and Hooghly 42, it said.

Meanwhile, the first day of the two-day lockdown was enforced today in the city with stringent measures by the Kolkata Police. There were more security checkpoints while every vehicle that was on the road, without a valid reason, was stopped for checking and subsequently the passengers were questioned.

A traffic constable said he had strict instructions to stop vehicles at checkpoints. He said only the vehicles engaged in essential services are allowed to ply but many were taking advantage of this and have ventured out on flimsy grounds.

The drivers who violated lockdown norms though were allowed to go after inquiry but they will be subjected to penalties, said the traffic sergeant. Additionally, drones were deployed for surveillance.

However, the lockdown has paved the way for another menace. With near-empty roads, several drivers were detained for over-speeding. Several vehicles were detained for the same. Main intersections such as Hazra, Park Circus, Exide crossing etc wore a deserted look.

Medical shops, milk booths and petrol pumps, however, were kept out of the purview of the lockdown.

Flight services out of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International airport here remained suspended, while long-distance trains were rescheduled at Howrah and Sealdah terminal. Ferry services through inland waterways also remained suspended.