Desperate tipplers fall all over for liquor, create huge chaos at liquor and wine shops

Social distancing goes for a toss as tipplers jostle for pole position even before shops opened up on Monday

Mumbai: With Maharashtra government allowing the sale of liquor during lockdown 3.0, several liquor shops on Monday witnessed huge chaos outside liquor shops in the city which opened after almost a month.

Die-hard tipplers throwing caution and social distancing to the winds queued up outside liquor shops from 6 AM onwards for their take away liquor.  In some places the situation turned so ugly leading to law and order situation forcing many liquor shops to down their shutters.

Govinda Singh, a tippler said,” It was difficult to survive without liquor, I had kept some stock and it got over long back. I need a regular drink, thus I stood in queue for long. But sad that none are following social distancing while in queue.”

The liquor and wine shops located at Chembur, Bhandup, Ghatkopar, Dadar, Santacruz, and Mulund saw tipplers pile up in long queues, completely flouting all norms of social distancing. After several videos surfaced on social media, many liquor shops simply downed their shutters.

On May 3, the state government allowed the functioning of standalone liquor shops even in Covid-19 affected Mumbai and Pune – both in red zones, but outside the containment zones. As per the conditions laid down – shops selling liquor as well as non-essential goods will have to ensure six-feet distance between two people and not allow more than five people at a time. The government had notified that liquor shops will be allowed to open in COVID-19 non-containment zones, but to the dismay of the customers, they remained shut. Thus, tipplers formed huge long lines at liquor and wine shops.

The confusion was apparently due to a contradictory communication from the excise department, the owners on May 3 got circular not to open their outlets.

Later, on Monday the Excise department sent the notification and guidance to the liquor shops in the city.

Solapur, Aurangabad, Jalna, Buldhana, and Amravati districts were not allowed at all to sale liquor and wine. The state earn huge source of revenue from the Liquor.

“Police bandobast is being deployed at all liquor shops to prevent overcrowding.

Patrolling is being intensified in the vicinity of the liquor shops. Strict action will be taken against violators of the lockdown guidelines, ” said DCP Pranaya Ashok, Mumbai city police spokesperson. 

A group of approximately thousands that forms part of Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) daily connect with each other through online for counseling sessions. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international mutual aid fellowship with the stated purpose of enabling its members to “stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety

A member of AA (name withheld on request) said,” Alcohol consumption is a disease, it affect the individual both physically and mentally. We are daily connecting online through video-conferencing in lockdown so as our spirits and consciousness remains alert and we keep our selves in sobriety (alcohol-free).”

“Mumbai has about 500 groups and there are at least 6-7 members daily come for AA meetings. It is a disease, one can arrest the urge and that is the way to come out of alcoholism. These people whether in lockdown or not keep pouring for counseling to keep themselves away from Alcohol,” added another AA member.