NEW DELHI: The national lockdown is likely to be replaced with a graded and somewhat piecemeal lifting of restrictions with the least curbs in green zones or districts with low prevalence or no Covid-19 cases, while tough stipulations will remain in red zones, which currently include major cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.The sum of consultations Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with chief ministers on Monday, official sources said, was that most states wanted the lockdown to continue with some easing of curbs, depending on the situation in a particular area. The CMs of north-eastern states, Himachal, Uttarakhand and some others like Odisha and Bihar felt it would be premature to lift the lockdown with fresh cases occurring and hotspots being notified every day.The CMs indicated the focus would need to remain on saving lives, and the objective of restarting the economy might not be fully met by a staggered reopening of businesses. Modi, on his part, seemed to set out priorities for the states, highlighting the importance of enforcing guidelines strictly in hotspots and said efforts should be directed towards converting red zones into orange and the reafter to green zones. In his remarks, later released by the government, the PM said that the lockdown had yielded positive results and there was a need to think of the way ahead.The PM underlined that the lockdown has yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months,” a government release said. The PM, however, warned the danger of the virus was far from over. He said according to experts, the impact of coronavirus would be visible in the coming months and reiterated his call for social distancing and that masks will be a part of life now.The PM said “we have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against Covid-19”, emphasising the use of technology and to utilise time to embrace reforms that touch lives of common people. Though the post-May 3 ro ad map may become clearer in the coming days when the home ministry is expected to re vise its lockdown guidelines, the Centre could revisit its ban on market places in urban areas and delivery of non-essentials by e-commerce firms.The opening of markets and more services is likely to be accompanied by norms on social distancing, alternate days of functioning or restrictions on staff attendance in green and orange zones. The district map of Covid-19 distribution in terms of case density shows that central and east India has a lighter imprint for the disease and these areas may see more curbs being eased. However, major cities with a higher number of industries and businesses are likely to remain affected.