New Delhi: It’s been three days since liquor shops opened in the capital and other parts of the country, though the number of Covid-19 cases across India and in Delhi continues to rise.
On all three days, booze shops have witnessed massive crowds, no social distancing, repeated warnings and even baton-charges by the police. But none of that has deterred liquor lovers from flocking to shops.
ThePrint has travelled to various parts Delhi to witness these scenes and capture them. Here are some snapshots of the last three days.
Also read: As throng of tipplers shuts down Delhi liquor shops, some wait on, others keep stopping by
Monday
Early Monday morning, there was chaos at liquor vends as they opened up for the first time since the lockdown began on 25 March. No one seemed to care about social distancing, and as a result, the Delhi government decided to shut them again.
That evening, the Delhi government announced an additional 70 per cent ‘corona tax’ on all varieties of liquor.
Tuesday
The second day saw liquor buyers waiting for hours for the shops to open, but they didn’t, because the revised rate card with the 70 per cent tax announced the previous evening hadn’t come yet.
But this didn’t deter buyers from waiting in queues longer than a kilometre for nearly four hours.
Wednesday
Liquor stores finally opened with the new rate cards Wednesday, but began running out of stock sooner than expected. A shop in Paharganj, for example, opened at 10 am, but ran out of stock before 1 pm.
Also read: Delhi’s 70% corona tax on liquor causes chaos — shops stay shut, police disperse large crowds