LUCKNOW: Precautions -- and Covid-time protocol -- were thrown to the wind as three main parks managed by the Lucknow Development Authority were opened for walkers on Wednesday. Although the district administration had allowed the parks to be opened from May 21, the LDA took some time for manitenance and sanitization work.
"I went to the Lohia Park for a walk after more than two months, but was apalled to see that more than 50% people who were taking a walk had not put on masks. When I reminded some of them that one should wear mask not just to protect oneself from the virus, but also others, they came up with excuses like 'it causes suffocation'," said a retired IAS officer.

"One gentleman in fact went to say that masks were harmful. It's after much apprehension that parks have been thrown open. But becuase of some people's misadventure, they may turn into a hotbed of infection," he says.
Three parks -- Janeshwar Mishra Park, Lohia Park and Gomti River Front - are at present open for morning walkers from 7am to 10am and from evening walkers from 5pm to 7am without any ticket. The LDA has not been able to reopen them for the entire day because of lack of maintenance.
However, the authority would allow access to public all through the day from first week of June. However, those visiting after 10am will have to buy tickets as it was before the lockdown was imposed. The timings would be from 7am to 7pm. The ticket rates will be same as before - Rs 10 for below five years of age and Rs15 for six and above. Officials said as many as 50 workers were asked to resume service for clearing bushes and levelling grass, but only 13 have turned up so far. Combined average footfall in these three parks before lockdown was 50,000, including morning and evening walkers.
LDA garden in charge SP Sisodiya said: "As most workers have not resumed duties due to coronavirus threat, we are now trying to hire a private agency for maintenance." District administration while releasing the guidelines for lockdown 4.0 on May19 had given green signal for the reopening of parks for morning and evening walkers. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had also issued orders of reopening of parks on Tuesday.