As life limps back to normal in Patna, many forget rules

PATNA: With the implementation of Unlock 1.0, life is slowly getting back on track in the city. Stores, salons, offices and market complexes have reopened and more vehicles can be seen plying on the roads. While a large number of people are still not stepping out of their houses because of the fear of contracting coronavirus, there are some who are openly flouting social distancing norms in public places.
A visit to the popular Hathwa, Khetan and Patna markets on Thursday exposed the careless attitude of many. There was neither a cop to monitor the crowd nor any mechanism to ensure that social distancing norms were followed. To make matters worse, many people were roaming around without wearing masks or gloves.
Ram Lal Khetan, the owner of Khetan Market, however, told this newspaper that customers were being allowed to enter only after undergoing thermal screening and sanitizing their hands.
Bhikhna Pahadi resident Avinash Kumar claimed that 90% of the people in his area were not wearing masks.
Patna divisional commissioner Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said, “The district administration, local police stations and Patna Municipal Corporation have been told to make sure that social distancing norms are followed in public places. People have to wear masks and traders have to allow a limited number of customers in their shops.”
On the other hand, electronic goods and homeware markets on Boring Road, S P Verma Road, Exhibition Road and Nala Road wore a deserted look on Thursday.
Shyam Lal, the owner of a home décor shop on S P Verma Road, rued, “Earlier, at least 20 people would visit my store every day, but now, there are hardly any customers.”
Stand-alone shops and makeshift stalls are also unhappy with the poor footfalls. Chotu Singh, who runs a ‘pani puri’ stall outside Maurya Lok Complex, pointed out, “I have started wearing gloves and using a hand sanitizer, but people are no more willing to eat my ‘golgappas’.”
Meanwhile, with more vehicles on roads, the overall air quality index (AQI) of Patna has started deteriorating, again. As per the daily bulletin issued by the Central Pollution Control Board, the city’s AQI stood at 102, which falls in the ‘satisfactory’ category, on Thursday.