Want to buy a liquor bottle? Then, bring an umbrella with you!
This is the latest diktat that the Guntur Rural Police have imposed in the areas where sale of liquor is allowed as per the guidelines of the State and Central governments.
Why an umbrella?
The police have caught on to the idea to make umbrella mandatory as it covers the person and ensures that sufficient physical distance is maintained among those standing outside the wine shop.
Unwittingly, an umbrella can also provide cover from the blistering Sun in summer.
A day after serpentine queues were witnessed outside the liquor shops, throwing caution to the winds, the SP of Guntur hit upon the idea of making umbrellas mandatory for tipplers. The idea seemed to have caught on, with almost everyone following suit.
The idea was implemented at Kollur and replicated across the district.
“We made umbrella mandatory in the entire Rural Police District as part of our efforts to maintain social distancing among people waiting at the wine shops. The State government has permitted sale of liquor between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., but we are witnessing quite a rush in view of the long lockdown,” said Superintendent of Police, Guntur Rural, Ch. Vijaya Rao.
The entire Guntur Urban Police District is in the red zone. However, many mandals in Guntur Rural such as Tenali, Bapatla in the delta region and a few mandals in Palnadu are in the orange zone, where sale of liquor is allowed.
For those without an umbrella, a bottle of liquor may be a far cry!