Commonly used slangs were flying like slingshots, electric horns were piercing ears while hustle bustle of pedestrians and hawkers left Kaman Choumuhani near BSNL Office a chaotic place since morning on Wednesday. An overwhelming but subtle buzz – miles to go before curfew time – was reverberating all around.
“Almost every day, long traffic snarls create the area chaotic – it starts from around 9-10am and continues till clock strikes 2pm – time for Corona Curfew”, said one of fruit sellers near Kaman Choumuhani.
All sorts of vehicles including Ambulances create a hodgepodge situation and traffic along Kaman Choumuhani-Motorstand, Kaman Choumuhani-Tulsibati School and Kaman Choumuhani-Hawkers’ corner is thrown into muddle.
Sweltering heat is pushing the tenacity of drivers and pedestrians to limits and slangs start flowing out from all around.
Only a couple of traffic personnel are deputed to manage the voluminous traffic flow at this busiest crossing. All they helplessly do is whistling intermittently without any effect.
One of the veteran Bank of Baroda customer said, “It is a harrowing and painstaking experience to cross Kaman Choumuhani traffic jam under scorching heat and compulsory mask wearing – however, one cannot imagine making a step without a mask”.
Bikers are particularly leaving no chance to verbally hammer the traffic and Police personnel. “You will not find sufficient number of traffic or police personnel wherever there is traffic jam – you will find them busy in slapping a fine on people standing under a shadow”, one of the young bikers commented.
“Life takes a 180 degree turn after 2pm due to Corona Day curfew – so all are in a hurry to finish their works within the stipulated time. This resulted in increasing traffic flow and people’s movement. Even as the State is under such curfew for over two months, administration is yet to find out an efficient way to manage the spike in traffic”, a roadside vendor said as he was readying up to shut his small shop.
One of the on-duty who wished to be anonymous said, at present life is thrown out of gear due to Corona Pandemic – like common people, we the people in security management are also under great stress and availability of manpower is paramount. Despite constraints, we are trying to ensure smoothness as much as possible.
Her comment resonates realities as security personnel are not stuck with only managing traffic or enforcing Covid protocols, they are also handling other equally crucial situations.
