Autos bursting with passengers, crowded markets — Hyderabad flouts social distancing norms

With restrictions being eased as part of 'unlock 1.0', people in Hyderabad went out shopping and visiting tourist spots, with many flouting safety protocols.

Unlock 1.0 saw some violation of safety protocols in Hyderabad | ThePrint Photo | Suraj Singh Bisht

Hyderabad: As India began ‘unlock 1.0’, shops and other commercial establishments opened up in Hyderabad earlier this week. People were seen out and about, visiting tourist spots, shops and eateries, all the while flouting safety protocols and social distancing norms.

Telangana recorded 129 fresh Covid-19 cases and seven new deaths Wednesday, taking the state’s total number of cases to 3,020.

ThePrint’s photojournalist Suraj Singh Bisht, who is in Hyderabad, caught some of the city’s life through is lens.

People walk around Charminar in the old city which is usually a haunt for shoppers | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Women, with masks pulled down, crowd a jewellery stall in Ameerpet, another bustling market area in the city | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Businesses reopened and people were seen shopping as usual in Laad Bazar, a lane that leads to Charminar | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Social distancing, a key safety protocol to prevent coronavirus spreading, was largely absent at Laad Bazar | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Public transport was back along with a common tendency of many passengers sharing a ride | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

In the heart of Hyderabad, vehicles and pedestrians crowded the Ameerpet market | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

Roadside stores have been back to business as usual in Ameerpet market, though not as many customers have gone back to shopping | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint

However, the Buddha Statue at Hussain Sagar lake in Hyderabad remains quiet with no tourists taking boat rides out to the island where the statue is | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint