Mumbai: Cops guard city hotspots on New Year's eve amid rising COVID-19 cases

Mumbai: Scores of cops were seen patrolling Marine Drive, Mantralaya, Colaba Causeway and Gateway of India on December 31 after 5 pm. The roads bore a deserted look after the police barricaded all the entrances to the area. At every 100 mt, there were two to three police personnel doing rounds. However, people were seen waiting to enter restaurants and hotels in large numbers.

Santacruz resident Teena Varghese said, “When we reached Marine Drive in the evening (Dec 31), we saw it was blocked and the police told us that we were not allowed to enter. Later, we went to Bandstand but the situation was similar there as well so we had to return home.”

Gateway of India

A similar situation was at Gateway of India and Colaba Causeway with police nakabandi at every point. The police said the people were cooperative and were following instructions regarding Covid restrictions without arguing. “I have been standing near Taj Hotel since 8 pm and so far 50- 60 cars and bikes have been stopped as they were entering the restricted area. However, we make them understand that they are not allowed to go,” a police officer said.

Andheri

However, at a residential society in Andheri, children had assembled for a party, mostly without masks. The roads wore a festive look. On the road towards Juhu, there was more than usual traffic, but revellers were mostly in small groups and seldom exceeded five persons. Many restaurants saw a crowd of takeaway customers and delivery personnel of online food platforms queuing up to pick orders. At a parcel centre near Juhu bus depot there was a huge crowd of men for takeaway. Many wine shops also saw huge crowds at their counters.

Kalyan

The prime Shivaji Chowk area, which is always crowded in the evening, wore a deserted look. Shopping mall D Mart, which usually witnesses a long queue of customers, was completely deserted. A customer AP Singh, 36, said, “We had visited a dhaba for dinner, but there was a rush there. So we returned and prefer to go home now.”