KOLKATA: After a mad rush in the initial days of Durga Puja and a large scale violation of COVID19 protocols, it appears that sanity is returning among the people in the city.
Due to the strict surveillance by the huge contingent of police personnel present on the streets of Kolkata on a festive day or wary of virus spreading post-Puja. No doubt, it has triggered fear in the minds of the people about the return of the pandemic in its most vicious form. The mask awareness was shot up among the revelers than what it was during the last three days or so, said police.
In the last couple of days, the police had to resort to constant announcements cautioning those moving around without masks. The routine cautionary notes from the police personnel were running unabated. But the tendency of people voluntarily using masks and carrying hand sanitisers was evident more on Wednesday. Even those taking off their masks for a short period to catch their breath were isolating themselves from the crowded junctions.
However, needless to say, the norms of social distancing could be adhered to as the fear factor might have prompted people to use masks but to restrict themselves within the closed doors on the festive days and enjoy the Puja online.
“At least this a great relief for us that the mask-awareness among the revelers is at a higher ebb on Maha Ashtami. But frankly we expected people to behave more responsibly and stay indoors. But anyway any positive feature is welcome,” said an on-duty senior police official of Kolkata at a busy crossing on Wednesday evening.
According to statistics of the Kolkata police control room till early evening the crowd concentration was mainly in Ballygunj, Gariahat and Behala areas in South Kolkata and Ultadanga, Maniktala and Tala areas in north Kolkata. On Tuesday till 8 PM, a total of 217 people were booked or prosecuted in Kolkata for not using face masks. On Tuesday, the number touched 132 till 3 PM only.
