Eco Park, Alipore Zoo, Nicco Park see huge footfall on the first day of 2022

Kolkata: As the city ushered to the new-year, At 75,975 head count, Eco Park emerged as one of the highest crowd-pullers on January 1.

The biggest urban park in the country stands on 480 acres of land and is surrounded by 102 acres of waterbody. The miniature replicas of the Seven Wonders of the World attracted a huge number of people, because of their unique architecture. Park authorities carried out surveillance to check if anybody flouts Covid protocols. Some people were seen removing masks while having food inside the park.

The State Health department had already issued advisories urging people to maintain Covid norms while going out. Immersed in festive mood, people were seen spending quality time with their family and friends in various other places like Victoria Memorial, India Museum, Alipore Zoological Gardens and Nicco Park.

Many people arranged picnics on the first day of the year. Crowds were seen outside the cages of tiger and lion and in front of the enclosure of chimpanzees at the zoo. Children were found basking in the sun in the winter afternoon.

Elaborate arrangements had been made at all the tourist places. It may be mentioned here that Nicco Park also witnessed a considerable influx of visitors as people enjoyed various rides.

Staff members of Nicco Park checked whether the visitors were properly wearing masks. The queue outside the ticket counter was maintained in such a way so that physical distance rule was followed. A huge footfall was registered at all the beach towns like Digha, Mandarmani, Tajpur on January 1. Religious places like Tarapith, Kankalitala also received many devotees.

Kolkata Police arrested as many as 537 people for violating traffic rules on New Year's Eve. Police conducted campaign to ensure revelers maintain COVID-19 guidelines on New Year's Eve in Park Street and other places in the city. Drink driving was not the only offence offenders were booked.

According to data provided by the Kolkata Traffic department, 160 people were found drunken and driving. 66 people were rash driving. 538 were without helmet. Around 382 were found triple riding. 77 vehicles seized.

This apart, 46.6 litres were seized. According to Bidhannagar police, total of 510 people were arrested for not wearing masks and not following COVID protocols.

MV prosecution for different traffic related violations was 670. Meanwhile, a man died while protesting against rush riding of bike on New Year's Eve in Bon Hooghly.

Mrinmoy Bose, who was a member of Raja Ram Mohan Sreeti Sangha club, was crushed under wheels of a lorry when the biker in a drunk state pushed him. He was shifted to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead.