Covid-19: Weekend blues! Zoo, park & Juhu beach cordoned off

MUMBAI: Weekend picnickers were discouraged from assembling at public spaces across the city on Sunday as authorities began enforcing restrictions to stem the Corona outbreak. The Byculla zoo, Priyadarshini Park at Napeansea Road and Juhu beach were among spots where crowds were told to disperse as part of curbs on mass gatherings.
Outside the city, five residents of Satara were booked for violating social distancing rules by organising a religious event on March 13 in which over 5,000 people had participated, police said.
Already, malls, theatres, swimming pools and gymnasiums across the major urban centres in Maharashtra have been ordered to shut down till March 31.
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On Sunday afternoon, the civic body announced that the city zoo would remain shut from March 15 until further notice. The footfalls at the zoo over the weekend and on public holidays usually crosses 12,000. Dr Sanjay Tripathi, director of the zoo, said around 1pm on Sunday, it was announced that the zoo would be shut immediately. "At that point of time, there were at least 3,000 people (inside) and so it took us over an hour to move them out," said Dr Tripathi. "But then, we explained to them that this step was being taken in public interest and urged them to cooperate," he said.
Elsewhere, the police closed Priyadarshani Park at Napeansea Road to visitors on Sunday evening where more than 1,000 people had gathered. Susieben Shah, general secretary of Malabar Hill Citizens' Forum which maintains Priyadarshani Park and Sports Complex said, "We followed police orders and shut gates as soon as they informed us."
It was a similar story at Juhu beach where large crowds congregated in the evening. Local corporator Reenu Hansraj said she asked the authorities to make announcements on the public address system, asking people to disperse.