Stay Home, Stay Safe: In Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor, Police Use Art To Create Awareness About Coronavirus

New Delhi: To break the chain of the transmission of COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the nationwide lockdown till May 3. To create awareness about the lockdown and ensure people follow the same, Srikalahasti Police in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district has resorted to painting on roads, urging people to stay at home to beat the novel coronavirus. The drawing on the road has a house covered with chain and big lock depicting people living inside their house during a lockdown. The drawing is accompanied with a message, “Stay home, stay home. Let’s break and beat coronavirus.”

Also Read: Combating COVID-19: In Andhra Pradesh, Each Citizen To Get 3 Face Masks

Talking to NDTV about the initiative, Nagarjuna Reddy, Circle Inspector of Police, Srikalahasti town said,

Our Superintendent of Police (SP) and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) asked us to share some ideas to create awareness among people and I suggested drawing on roads. Through this piece of art we are pleading common people to stay at home and help the country win this battle against COVID-19.

As of now, the same drawing has been painted at three different locations within the town and the team plans to cover more areas in the next few days.

Like Srikalahasti Police, cops from different parts of the country are coming up with unique ideas to create awareness. For instance, Mumbai Police usually known for its humorous and quirky content on social media, has initiated a conversation around COVID-19 on Twitter in a filmy way. For the last few days, Mumbai Police has been using referenceS from Bollywood movies to promote preventive and precautionary measures. Recently, they tweeted a video clip from Shah Rukh Khan’s popular film Main Hoon Na. In the clip, Shah Rukh’s character Ram Prasad Sharma does a back dive to save himself from the spit of Professor Rasai, played by veteran actor Satish Shah.

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Promoting the use of the mask, Mumbai Police captioned the video clip as, “Shah Rukh Khan wouldn’t need to do such stunts any longer – Mask Hai Na!”

Also Read: Fight Against COVID-19: Shah Rukh Khan Provides Protection Kits; Maharashtra Health Minister Appreciates Contribution

On April 14, the police department posted a meme inspired by the Bollywood film ‘Stree’ to urge people to not step out on the streets. Taking inspiration from the iconic dialogue ‘O stree, kal aana’, Mumbai police created a post saying, ‘O corona, kabhi mat aana.’

To impart the ‘stay at home’ message, Mumbai Police captioned the post as, “The only mantra we need to keep #EverySTREEtSafe is not to venture out on the STREEts”

Also Read: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Lauds Children For Creating Awareness About Coronavirus Through Game, Song

Earlier in April, Kolkata Police officials modified a song from Satyajit Ray’s film Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne to spread awareness about COVID-19. In a video shared by Kolkata Police on Twitter, several cops wearing masks and gloves were seen singing their rendition of the song. In the same video, residents were seen enjoying the performance by the police officials.

As reported by news agency ANI, in Chennai, a local artist in collaboration with a police official created a ‘corona helmet’ to dissuade commuters from venturing out during the nationwide lockdown.

The public at large is not treating the COVID-19 situation seriously, whereas the police personnel are working round the clock to ensure people stay at home and do not venture out so that further spread of the disease can be stopped. I came up with the idea and used a broken helmet and papers to prepare a helmet. I have also prepared many placards displaying slogans and handed them over to the police, Gowtham, the artist who designed the helmet, told ANI.

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