CUTTACK: Residents of Cuttack district welcomed the New Year by flouting all norms in the book to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and its newest variant Omicron posing the greatest threat to mankind ever.
In the rural areas of the district where enforcement did not exist, it was a free for all as people gathered at picnic spots in forests.
Youths from the city, where the Commissionerate Police maintained a strict vigil on revellers, thronged the outskirts and villages where they danced and organised community feasts to welcome the new year.
"The State government has banned celebrations in hotels, clubs, restaurants, parks, convention halls and kalyan mandaps. As there is no such strict vigilance on gatherings in rural areas, we came to Renta Jungle to celebrate zero night and welcome the new year. We just needed to enjoy ourselves," said a few city-based college students who chose the forest for its tranquillity and absence of enforcement.
Meanwhile, a senior police officer cited shortage of vehicles and manpower as the reasons behind lax patrolling.
“How can we carry out enforcement activities within a police station jurisdiction with a few staff and a single police van?” he questioned.