Pune: Wedding in Baner triggers angry response as people violate precautionary guidelines

While the  COVID-19 cases in the city are rising faster than before. Residents of various societies in  Baner were offended after they allegedly witnessed a wedding event in their area, where they claim several government-mandated rules were defied. It was observed that more than 50 people had gathered for several hours, many guests were roaming around without masks, children were seen present at the gathering, and social distancing was also not being observed by most when media professionals visited the location.

The groom's family has claimed that guests came in at different timings, so there was no crowding beyond norms. Similarly, the lawn owners have claimed they had done the needful by notifying the clients of the 50-guest rule and had taken all sanitisation measures necessary at their end.

As spoken to Mirror team, Prasad Gunbote, a resident of Echelon Society close to the lawns, claimed, "In the past, too, we have come across similar goings-on at the same place, which is why we decided to finally object. On Monday, almost two buses full of people stepped out onto the venue - a minimum of 100-150 people. Some were not wearing a mask. Rules of distancing were not being followed." Another resident, who chose to stay unnamed, added, "In the times of COVID-19, even society residents are not being allowed to take walks within the premises. Events of this magnitude certainly increase risk of infection for all. No norms were seen followed by a large crowd - this is definitely a cause of concern."

Speaking to Pune Mirror, the groom's father, Bashir Shaikh said, "The wedding was held in Kondhwa on Sunday and the reception was planned for Monday. Considering that the bride's family members were to come for this, we chose to invite only our close relatives, who are currently seated here. There were 40 invitees from the bride's side who attended. We also applied for and obtained police permission for this gathering."

While the country is experiencing a severe outbreak of the novel coronavirus, mass gathering including weddings, meeting and events have been suspended since the lockdown. 

Currently, certain relaxations are in place but the government has strict rules against mass gatherings and stringent guidelines have been issued in case of weddings and other occasions. As per the guidelines, not more than 50 people are allowed to be present at the wedding while following social distancing and taking precautionary measures like wearing a mask. 

In an attempt to curtail the spread of coronavirus, Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad authorities have re-imposed a 10-day strict lockdown in the city. With strict police surveillance and only essential services operational in the city, the authorities hope to be able to curb the spread of the virus. 

Pune currently has 28,142 confirmed cases and 13,406 recovered cases.