Wearing face masks has become optional in Delhi. Still, most people are wearing them. It is most evident in Metro travel. There are rows and rows of men and women travelling with faces covered with masks.
People have obviously seen some good in sticking to the practice forced by Covid restrictions. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) gave orders on 1 April making the wearing of masks optional.
The Delhi authority said there will be no penalty for not wearing the masks, but it is advisable to wear them. The Metro travelers have not given up their masks. In fact, with full occupation of seats and standing space, and escalators loaded with people, it seems necessary not to give up the masks yet.
The pandemic is nearly gone, but it is not over. Some cases, including fatal infections, confirm this. The caution is not followed on streets or local shopping areas. People can be seen without masks. Some keep them down, perhaps as an old habit. Street vendors don’t wear masks for their patrons. Most of Delhi’s life is quite free at the local level. Vegetable and fruit vendors consider it of no use to wear masks while doing business.
Some shops like chemists, mini stores, and malls have “No mask, No entry” notices still pasted on their entrances. It is interesting to see how some people wear small masks, which do not cover their noses and are placed on their necks. Delhi is a dusty city. With so much traffic, there is dust in the air.
Roadsides are swept all day. It is impossible to walk anywhere without covering your face. Road-sides are dug up for new drains. Passing through Vikas Marg, East Delhi’s main artery, a few days ago, it was shocking to see drains dug up along Shakarpur-Laxmi Nagar colonies. Where the drain is filled up, the covering is left uneven.
To make things worse, two-wheelers never stop running on the narrow strips left for the pedestrians. Delhi remains one of the most polluted cities in the world. In fact, a study last month said 35 of the 50 cities with the worst air quality in the world were in India.
There is no question urban dwellers can give up the masks, which were a blessing of the pandemic. Delhi is known for its dust storms during summer. One had to use handkerchiefs to cover faces. No amount of watering of roads or showers from air sprinklers can clear the air. Masks cover the faces conveniently.
They are available in all colours, and a massive trade survives on their sale. As heat waves blow through the city, masks remain in use, saving one from hot and dusty winds.