Mumbai: COVID-19 protocols go for toss as people violate social distancing norms, go maskless

A youngster roams without a mask amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the city at Kandivli`s Thakur village. All Pics/Satej Shinde

After nearly three months, Maharashtra on Friday saw the number of new COVID-19 cases surge past 6,000 and amid the rising number of cases, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray hinted at another lockdown in the state.

Stepping up its efforts to check the spread of COVID in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has doubled the number of clean-up marshals to penalise those roaming without a mask.

On Wednesday, the civic body's officials and clean-up marshals were seen penalising those roaming without a mask. BMC has deployed women at religious places and teachers at BMC offices to penalise those roaming without a mask. Furthermore, the country's richest civic body has also planned to press charges under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code that may land a violator in jail for a month.

"All persons must wear a face mask in public places including office meetings and anybody violating order will be punishable under section 188 of Indian Penal Code and a fine of Rs 200 will be imposed for each such offence by the cleanup marshal," stated an order issued by municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal.

However, despite several warnings, people in Mumbai failed to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols. Mid-day photographers captured several people at Malad and Kandivli stations violating social distancing norms while standing in queues at the ticket counter and not wearing the mask properly while travelling on local trains. Some commuters were even seen without a mask at the stations and in the local trains.

Citizens seen violating COVID-19 guidelines:

A woman not wearing the mask properly as she talks on the phone while waiting for a bus at Akurli Road, Kandivli.

A group of youngsters clicked without masks on a skywalk at Kandibli's Akurli Road.

People waiting to catch a train at Kandivli station were seen violating social distancing norms.

Social distancing went for a toss as people were seen rushing to board a local train at Malad railway station.

The BMC has increased the number of clean-up marshals from 2,400 to 4,800 to catch people without a mask or those who spit in public places. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

BMC officials also said that wearing a mask is compulsory at weddings, gymnasiums, clubs, nightclubs, restaurants, cinemas, multi-religious places, playgrounds and parks, public places, shopping malls, and all private offices.