Picnickers visiting Dimna Lake to be tested for Covid till January

Police administration is focussing on making picnickers follow social distancing norms and wearing masks at Dimna lake.

On Tuesday, about 1,000 picnickers from different parts of the steel city and also from Bengal and Covid were subjected to Covid tests by the district health department officials with police cooperation.

Led by SP Subhash Chandra Jat, a police party first carried out a survey of the picnic spot around 11 am, and subsequently made all picnickers, including women and children, undergo rapid antigen tests (RAT).

Picnic is not prohibited at Dimna lake area, but those visiting  must adhere to Covid norms like wearing masks and social distancing. During the survey we found picnickers without masks and not maintaining social distance.  Hence, we called in district health department officials for carrying out RATs,” Jat told The Telegraph Online.

“We are also keeping a watch on criminals who come here with intentions of snatching gold-chains, mobile phones and harassing women. But our priority is making the picnickers safe from coming in contact with the coronavirus.  The drive started today and will continue till the first week of January,” he added.

For picnickers and year-end travellers, Jubilee Park in Bistupur and Dimna lake used to be prime places of attraction.  But as Jubilee Park closed since the lockdown, Dimna lake remains the only place to visit now.

Currently, about 1,000 people visit Dimna lake every day. But the year end crowd is expected to swell to thousands, posing a challenge for the police administration..

A senior police officer, part of Tuesday’s drive, said that they have started large-scale Covid testing at the lake as a strategy to diffuse numbers.

“We cannot prevent people from picnicing at Dimna lake. But, at the same time, we have to ensure that those coming must adhere to Covid norms.  As many people are reluctant to get tested, this might discourage them to throng the spot,” he said.