Maharashtra Lockdown: Night curbs kick in, many parts of Mumbai wear deserted look

The night curfew imposed by the state government from 8 pm Monday saw many parts of the city wearing a deserted look, with residents complying with the restrictions as the night progressed.

As the clock chimed at 8 pm, there was a sizeable number of people on the streets, but the numbers ebbed substantially by 9.30 pm as nakabandi and police presence was beefed up across various parts of the city.

A huge queue of people was seen post 8 pm waiting for a BEST bus in the market in Dadar (w) below a bridge. An on-duty ticket checker said, “The crowd is comparatively less today. A long queue can be seen as there is a traffic jam nearby due to an errant driver who blocked the road and two of our empty buses got stuck there.”

Even as all licensed shops were shut before or minutes after the 8 pm deadline, the picture was slightly different for vendors. Till 8.45 pm, hawkers were seen doing their business in Dadar flower market area, catering to some people who were seen rushing back home.

Police officials said they were lax in implementing the 8 pm directive as it was the first night and some leeway was given to shops that are unlikely to reopen till the end of the month.

A beat marshal was seen asking the hawkers to leave but they did not budge. “It is possibly our last day at work. Nobody will move until the police ask us,” said a hawker selling mobile covers.

At Bandra Hill Road, all shops were shut and hawkers gone by 9 pm. One police beat marshal was seen shouting at the owner of a sugarcane juice stall as he was the only one left with his shutters open. The nearby Carter Road and the Bandstand, where people are usually seen even after midnight, was mostly deserted, with just a few people jogging or cycling.

Strict compliance of the curfew was observed in areas like Dadar, Mahim, Bandra, Santacruz, Khar, Kurla and Dharavi. All shops were shut in these areas, except for chemists and hotels providing home deliveries. Traffic on the roads was also minimal.

Dharavi saw a complete shutdown of all commercial establishments, even though gathering of more than five people was seen at several places. A police officer from Dharavi police station said, “There are no issues here. People are listening to us and have shut all shops. But since it’s a slum area, people tend to come out of their small houses and sit outside near footpaths.”