Guwahati: Mask wearing still an alien concept in the busy Beltola Market

Guwahati: At a time when mask-wearing and social distancing have been championed as two of the most effective measures against the novel coronavirus, the streets of the famous Beltola Bazar in Assam's Guwahati city is chock-a-block with people openly flouting these official guidelines.

Beltola Bazar, which hosts two weekly haats on Thursdays and Sundays, is unquestionably one of the busiest locations in the city and is thronged by thousands upon thousands seeking to purchase wares. For many of these people, however, wearing masks to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 infections is pretty much an alien concept.

While interacting with The Sentinel Digital, many of these people said that they had "forgotten" to put on their masks. There were some others said that they had pulled off their mask in order to spit, which is another punishable offence.

Surprisingly, most of these people are aware that they will be charged Rs. 500 if the police catch them without face covers. The fine for repeat offenders of Rs. 1,000. "I am aware that we have to wear masks or else choke up fines. However, I just took it off due to discomfort,' said a man whom we caught without a mask.

There are some who complain that wearing masks is not possible in this searing heat. "I am simply sweating a lot, so I had to take it off," said a trader, who was caught unmasked. "It is tough, it is inconvenient, as well as uncomfortable. So I chose to remove it," said another trader.

Some of the buyers were also caught without masks. "I took off the mask to strike a bargain with the dealers. It was difficult to converse with the mask on. I myself am a Municipal Corporation employee," said a man whom we had approached. He then put on a mask and continued with his shopping spree.

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