Noida: Liquor stores reopened in Gautam Buddh Nagar on Tuesday after remaining closed for days due to the coronavirus curfew in Uttar Pradesh, officials said, with tipplers thronging shops in large numbers with scant regard for COVID-19-appropriate behaviour.
District Excise Officer Rakesh Bahadur Singh said liquor stores have been permitted to open for sale of alcohol, including foreign and country-made liquor, but in compliance with COVID-19 protocols such as maintaining of social distancing and wearing of face cover.
"On instructions of the district magistrate, the liquor shops have been allowed to open from 10 am to 5 pm, Singh said in a statement.
However, crowds thronged the shops no sooner they reopened in the morning in Noida and Greater Noida and several people were seen queued up outside such stores.
Pictures and videos shared on social media purportedly showed people standing in queues wearing face masks or face covers while some were even seen sporting their two-wheeler helmets as they waited for their turn to buy liquor.
Social distancing was amiss at many places, according to eyewitnesses, even as district officials and police said they were making efforts to ensure observance of COVID-19-appropriate behaviour.
However, from Wednesday the timings will be changed to 2 pm to 6 pm. While all the other shops are ordered to remain closed during lockdown, a senior officer from district excise department said that they do not have any specific directions to close the liquor shops but they were closed as lockdown was announced.
With the shops getting opened, scores of people were out on street with long queues forming up outside liquor shops. The entire concept of social distancing went on a toss with thousands of people gathering outside the wine shops across both the districts.
Police swung into action to make people stand in queues while at some places police also resort to lathi charge to control the crowd.