More than 50,000 visitors thronged Eco Park and the Mother’s Wax Museum on Friday.
Although the day was hot and humid, a steady stream of cars and two-wheelers were seen making their way towards Eco Park.
The 480-acre park in New Town with a 113-acre water body in the middle was abuzz since morning.
Large groups of families were seated on the expansive greens with many jostling for space under the shade of the trees.
Many people, young and old, were playing badminton and cricket and sizeable queues were spotted outside the booking counters of the speedboat and other rides at the park.
Many people, however, were without masks. Many others had them hanging from their chins.
Although the security personnel at the park, did not allow anyone to enter without a mask, almost everyone took them off once inside.
The eateries and restaurants at the park, too, did brisk business after several months.
“We enjoyed the sunset in the backdrop of the park’s waterbody followed by a speedboat ride. We will have dinner somewhere before heading home,” said Megha Choudhury, a resident of Patuli on the southern fringes of Kolkata.
The Mother’s Wax Museum opposite the park, too, had a decent footfall.
Here, too, very few people were spotted with their masks on even though the museum authorities made repeated announcements requesting visitors to keep their masks on.
An official of the Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco) that operates both Eco Park and the Mother’s Wax Museum said that these attractions of New Town had a footfall reminiscent of the pre-Covid times.
“The buoyant feeling of Poila Boisakh coupled with the fact that the restrictions have been lifted and the number of cases is on a steady downfall prompted many families to step out and head out to Eco Park and the Mother’s Wax Museum,” said Debashis Sen the managing director of Hidco.