New Delhi: Soon after the Delhi government announced that the Capital would be under nightly curfews from April 6 to April 10, the city scrambled to make the 10 pm curfew on Tuesday as the police, district administrations, public transport system were jolted into ensuring that the curfew is maintained.
Unusually heavy traffic was seen at several places in the national capital post 8.30 pm. Many who were caught off guard by the government's night curfew announcement and tried to get e-passes complained that websites of both the Delhi government and police were choked due to heavy traffic.
"I tried for several hours to get an e-pass but the sites had crashed. I started early to get home in time for the curfew but the traffic was unusually heavy today," a commuter said. Stuck in traffic, some commuters took to Twitter to share their ordeal.
"There is massive traffic congestion at the Delhi-Meerut Expressway near Ghazipur," a commuter tweeted. Another said there was heavy traffic at the Delhi-Ghaziabad elevated highway.
In addition to this, marketplaces across the city that are usually open way past 10 pm, were deserted on Tuesday night as the police were mobilised en-masse to ensure the curfew is followed on the first day. According to sources in the know, beat constables have been strictly asked to ensure the curfew is maintained and by 11 pm, almost every local marketplace was cleared out by local policemen and policewomen who made announcements on loudhailers.
And as the Delhi Police struggled to get people back indoors past curfew on Tuesday night, many who regularly travel in Metros were confused about returning home past the curfew. However, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said that they will not penalise people for travelling beyond curfew on Tuesday night.
The DRMC PRO said, "People won't be penalised for travelling beyond 10 since they got to know it today itself but they will be counseled to not do it from tomorrow."
In a statement issued soon after the curfew was announced the Metro operator had said that the restrictions will be followed strictly and only those permitted to travel under the DDMA order will be allowed to enter the Metro stations between 10 pm and 5 am.
Moreover, the Delhi Police PRO Chinmoy Biswal said, "Delhi Police will strictly enforce it except for the exempted categories mentioned in the order. All concerned should strictly observe the restrictions as given in the DDMA order." The police have said they will continue to issue e-passes on-demand as they had done during the lockdown period.
However, despite the authorities' efforts, many other central parts of Delhi were found teeming with people as they rushed to get indoors. Prominent places in Rajouri Garden, Connaught Place were promptly emptied out at 10 pm.
While the Delhi government has chosen to impose a night curfew, Cabinet Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday said that his government is not even considering setting down full-fledged lockdown restrictions.