New Year celebration guidelines for Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and other cities

• Restrictions have been imposed in several major cities across India to curb New Year’s Eve celebrations.
• Night curfews and Section 144 has been imposed in Delhi and Mumbai.
• Hyderabad has permitted parties between 11 PM on December 31 and 1 AM on January 1.

The New Year Eve celebrations will have to be low-key this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions being imposed across the country to control the spread of the virus.

Various state governments have come up with guidelines for the New Year’s Eve which are aimed at controlling crowds at busy locations in order to contain the spread of the COVID-19, especially with a new variant on the loose.

Here’s a quick look at the guidelines for some of the major cities in India:

Delhi

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority has imposed a night curfew in the national capital from 11 PM of December 31 till 6 AM on January 1. This means that no more than five people can gather in public.

New Year celebrations and gatherings will not be permitted at public places. To prevent private events, the Delhi Police has warned the people not to hold any parties or root-top celebrations during the designated curfew timings.

"To ease overcrowding on New Year's Eve (31 December), exit from Rajiv Chowk metro station will not be allowed 9 pm onwards. Entry of passengers will be allowed till the departure of the last train. Please plan your journey accordingly," the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) tweeted.

Mumbai

In Mumbai, night curfew will be imposed from 11 PM on December 31 to 6 AM on January 1. This means that gatherings will not be allowed in restaurants, bars, beaches, rooftops and pubs once the curfew begins.

While there will be no restrictions on visiting friends and family, a maximum of four persons will be allowed to travel in a vehicle. The Mumbai Police has said that it will conduct blood tests instead of breathalyser tests to ward against drinking and driving.

Bengaluru

The Bengaluru city police in its guidelines has stated that gatherings of more than four people will not be allowed in public areas. The prohibitory orders in the city will start from 12 noon on December 31 and end at 6 AM on January 1.

Apartments and societies have also been instructed to not organise New Year celebrations. Restaurants will be allowed to operate but customers will be allowed only with advance booking.

Chennai

The Chennai Police has instructed resorts located along the Old Mahabalipuram Road and Chennai's East Coast Road to not organise parties.

Guests who are presently staying at these resorts will be allowed to take these routes till 10 PM on December 31 after providing a valid ID proof. No parties will be allowed at beaches, restaurants, pubs, clubs and bars.

Hyderabad

The Cyberabad Police have instructed that New Year celebrations should be held between 8 PM on December 31 to 1 AM on January 1. The Outer Ring Road (ORR) will be open only to airport passengers from 10 PM on December 31 to 5 AM on January 1.

The police have also instructed hotels, resorts, pubs and bars to not organise any party without the prior permission of the police.

Jaipur

The Rajasthan government has imposed night curfew in all cities with a population of more than 10 million. The restrictions will be in place from 8 PM on December 31 till 6 AM on January 1.

Kolkata

The West Bengal government has decided to hold public events across the state and the theme will be based on the ongoing anti-agri law protests and anti-CAA protests.

Odisha

The state government has imposed night curfew from 10 PM on December 31 to 5 AM on January 1. Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Police Commissioner Sudhanshu Sarangi said that all hotels and shops will remain closed during the night curfew.

"The government of Odisha is imposing a night curfew from 10 PM tonight to 5 AM tomorrow morning across the state. The general public is requested to cooperate. All essential services and movements are allowed to continue during the curfew hours," Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Kumar Jena tweeted on Thursday.

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