Haridwar looked different since the morning of Thursday. While most of the schools of the district remained closed, others shut down by 2 pm as per the orders of the district administration. The elderly chose to remain indoors while those in office kept on discussing whether they would reach home on time after 5.30 pm when their offices were shut. This was because of the scheduled visit of the President of India. He was to land at BHEl stadium by a special flight at 5.15 pm. Zero zone stretching from BHEl stadium to Har Ki Pauri was implemented from 2 pm. The wi-fi networks were jammed from security point of view in the zero zone area. The zero zone regulations would be in force from 2 pm to 8 pm.
The roads were almost empty unlike normal days. Few vehicles plying, the traffic police personnel breathed a bit easy unlike other days. “We are relieved to find things easy on the roads. Even an hour before the President lands one could easily drive through BHEl and Ranipur, something that we do rarely,” said a commuter.
Throughout the day, keeping aside their normal work, the cops were found busy answering the queries of the media persons. The latter looked uncertain as to whether they would be allowed to carry laptops, net setters and mobiles with them while covering the President’s programme.
Meanwhile, the district information office which had been frantically hunting for the Bengali newspaper ‘Anand Bazar Patrika’, one of the dailies the President loves to read, has finally managed a copy from Ram Krishan Mission Ashram. However, it was the copy of 25 September.