Covid concerns took a backseat as Trinamul leaders and supporters celebrated their victory in the elections to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, whose key role over the past year-and-a-half has been to fight the disease.
Hundreds of people bathed in green abir and sang and danced on the roads, oblivious of the pandemic. No one reminded them of the mask mandate in place across the city.
Some police officers said that despite their best efforts to ensure adherence to Covid norms, it became impossible to control the gatherings.
The Telegraph could not locate a Kolkatan who saw the police trying to school victorious Trinamul supporters in Covid norms.
After the celebrations are over, it is presumed some councillors will go back to organising vaccination camps, carrying out awareness drives against Covid and sanitising markets.
A Kolkatan in Gariahat in south Kolkata complained about a volley of cracker bursts in the evening. Someone further south spoke of blaring loudspeakers.
Incidents of incessant use of loudspeakers and bursting of firecrackers were reported from pockets in Alipore, Behala, Gariahat, Patuli, Jadavpur, Chetla, Kalighat and New Alipore.
“I saw several people breaking a police cordon near Hastings House, one of the counting venues. Many were bursting crackers in front of the building,” said Manas Tiwari, a resident of Ekbalpore who saw the celebrations outside the Alipore landmark.
The Supreme Court has allowed only green fireworks.
According to the pollution control board guidelines, in residential areas loudspeakers can be used between 6am and 10pm but they cannot produce more than 55db of sound.
There is a complete ban on the use of loudspeakers and microphones in open areas between 10pm and 6am except for emergency announcements.
A newly elected councillor from Trinamul said the party supporters were “respecting” all Covid restrictions.
“We are strictly following the commission’s ban on victory rallies. Our boys are just rejoicing our victory in small, scattered ways,” the councillor said.
Large victory rallies were replaced by smaller celebrations at neighbourhood clubs.
“We are having a picnic today. We will feast on mangsho-bhaat (meat and rice) today. This is the least we can do to celebrate our victory,” said a Trinamul supporter near Thakurpukur on the sothwestern fringes of Kolkata.
Officers at Lalbazar said though there were reports of roadside small gatherings, there was no formal complaint against bursting of firecrackers.