Chennai: With shops, offices and factories closed, Tamil Nadu turned silent on Wednesday, the first day of the 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
With borders closed, complete halt of public transport and declaration of prohibitory orders, most of the roads in the state were empty subject to certain exceptions.
In some places, private vehicles were seen plying despite the warning by the police that action would be taken against those who come out on the roads.
As announced earlier by the government, grocery and drug stores are open.
In Madurai, where one person died due to Coronavirus infection, police fined motorists who were on the roads.
In the morning, the Gandhi Market in Trichi saw good crowd with people coming out to buy vegetables. However, the police asked them to go back. Police said people can buy vegetables from their neighbourhood shops and not from wholesale markets.
In Kancheepuram, people queued up at the fish market maintaining sufficient gap between two persons. Otherwise the temple town roads were largely empty and shops remained closed.
In the state capital Chennai, all the business establishments were closed. Even the banks and insurance companies were closed due to Ugadi festival, the Knanada and Telugu New Year.
Police have registered cases against three persons who had come from overseas and were found to violate the home quarantine orders.
At Anna Salai, a policeman with folded hands requested the vehicle riders to go back home.
The government has ordered plying of 200 buses for the purpose of providing essential services.
Owing to the 21-day curfew across the nation, the judiciary has decided to stop work at all courts.