Gautam Ghosh, a 52-year-old pharmacist from Salkia in Howrah (in pink), egged his opponent Chanchal Biswas (in green) under the Gariahat flyover to play his next chess move while puffing on a cigarette, the strings of his mask dangling from the pocket of his trousers.

Both players, who were sitting inches from each other, did not have masks on.

Many players on other tables did not have masks on either.

“We are regulars here for the past many years and spend hours here playing against each other. Neither me nor my partner is down with Covid-19. So we don’t wear masks here,” said Ghosh.

Prashanto Paul, who sells dress materials and bed sheets from one such stall, did not have a face cover on.

Most hawkers peddling their wares from shops on the pavements in Hatibagan did not have masks on. Many had the masks on their chin or wore them in a way that their noses stuck out.

Prashanto Paul, who sells dress materials and bed sheets from one such stall, did not have a face cover on. Asked, Paul said he was thirsty.

“Dada ektu jol khai tarpor mask er kotha bhebe dekhbo. Ei pathiyechi antey (Let me drink water first, then I will think about wearing a mask. I have just asked someone to fetch me a bottle of water).”

Prodded further, Paul brought out a piece of cloth from under one of the bedsheets and said he wears it around his face while dealing with customers.

Nitai Bagh, a rickshaw-puller in Salt Lake, was puffing a bidi with his mask hanging around his neck.

Nitai Bagh, a rickshaw-puller in Salt Lake, was puffing a bidi with his mask hanging around his neck.

Bagh insisted that he always covered his face while ferrying passengers and said that although it feels suffocating, he rarely takes it off.

When asked why his mask was around his neck, Bagh pointed at his bidi. “I can’t smoke with a mask on. I have taken it off for a bit and will wear it once I am done. There are no passengers,” said Bagh.

“I live nearby and will go straight home. I have lowered it as I need to give directions,” Shyamoli Ghosh said.

Shyamoli Ghosh, 38, a homemaker from Hatibagan, who had come to get her idols polished and to buy clothes for Goddess Lakshmi, had a mask hanging around her chin. “I live nearby and will go straight home. I have lowered it as I need to give directions,” Ghosh said.

Arindam Chakraborty, 35 (in green shirt), who was chatting with the others, said they had to wear masks nearly throughout the day as they had to visit multiple hospitals, nursing homes and doctor’s chambers.

Medical representatives clustered outside a hospital in Salt Lake and very few had masks on. Most had masks dangling from their ears or chins and one even had it strapped on top of his head.

Arindam Chakraborty, 35 (in green shirt), who was chatting with the others, said they had to wear masks nearly throughout the day as they had to visit multiple hospitals, nursing homes and doctor’s chambers.

“The few minutes outside the hospitals are the only respite we get. Wearing a mask throughout the day is very suffocating and it makes it extremely difficult to speak or get heard while wearing one. Since we wear it at all other times, we allow ourselves a break when we sit and chat,” said Chakraborty.