After a slew of relaxations were announced as part of Unlock 3.0 by the State government, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the police, in a coordinated effort, constituted 54 teams to check the enforcement of COVID-19 Appropriate Behaviour (CAB). In a week, the teams collected ₹16.81 lakh in fines from citizens who failed to wear masks or maintain social distance.
According to information provided, the civic body, through the marshals, has thus far (from May 2020 to July 11, 2021) collected ₹12.04 crore in fines from citizens for not adhering to CAB.
Col. Rajbir Singh (retd), chief marshal, told The Hindu that since July 5, when Unlock 3.0 came into effect, the enforcement teams have been booking an average of 950 cases a day. “We are focussing on educating the citizens on the importance of adhering to CAB. It is only after repeated warnings that cases are booked and fines levied,” he said.
Each of the 54 CAB enforcement teams has four marshals, and one home guard or police constable. While the marshals focus on interior areas, parks, markets and malls, the police monitor the main roads and junctions, said Col. Singh.
He also said that it has been noticed that most number of violations are being reported from K.R. Market, Russell Market, Yeshwanthpur Market, K.R. Puram market, Pulikeshinagar, Chickpete, Shanthinagar, and Rajarajeshwarinagar. “These areas are densely populated and witness not just heavy traffic, but heavy footfall. There is also a significant number of floating population in these areas. Given that more violations are reported from these areas, more enforcement teams have been deputed here,” he said.
The enforcement teams have also been distributing masks to people, especially in areas where those belonging to lower socio-economic groups reside. Col. Singh said that more than 20,000 masks had been distributed in these localities.
Though the compliance to mask wearing had improved this year, following the second wave, BBMP officials say that many citizens continued to flout the social distancing norms. “Citizens are yet to understand the importance of social distancing. Despite wearing masks, protection from the virus is foolproof only when distance of at least two yards is maintained. We are focussing on educating citizens, which is why cases booked for violation of social distance is far lesser than that booked for not wearing masks,” he said.
