Bengalureans no longer afraid of Covid, won't mask up or keep social distance

A steady fall in new Covid cases in Bengaluru has brought complacency in the general public as is evident from the rampant violation of the Covid-appropriate behaviour.

Whether it's wearing masks or keeping social distance at crowded areas, most citizens have been disregarding Covid guidelines, say BBMP marshals enforcing the Covid-appropriate behaviour.

"The Covid fear is no longer there. In several areas, people are wilfully flouting the guidelines," said a marshal posted in the Shanthala Nagar ward in the CBD.

Chief Marshal Rajbir Singh echoed him, adding that most of the violations are reported from residential areas. People are openly disregarding the Covid guidelines while visiting neighbourhood markets and parks, he said. In October, marshals detected more than 20,000 violations. Unreported violations run into hundreds of thousands.

According to marshals, Covid rule violations are rampant in and around DJ Halli, KG Halli, Pulakeshi Nagar, Chamarajpet, parts of Mahadevapura, Dasarahalli and Peenya Industrial Area. Large-scale violations have also been observed among shopkeepers in market areas and slum dwellers.

A senior BBMP official said marshals had been finding it difficult to even penalise citizens in a few localities.

"In some core city areas, many people cannot afford to pay the fines. In such cases, we do not record the violations. We just warn them and spread awareness," the official said.

Another official suggested that the real number of Covid-rule violations would be far higher because marshals do not enforce only Covid guidelines but also implement solid waste management rules.

Since May 2020, the BBMP has recorded a total of 5,58,903 mask violations and netted Rs 13.47 crore in fines. Social-distancing violations stand at 32,887 and fines Rs 75.17 lakh.

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