New Year eve celebration: A state-by-state guide to what you can & can't do

With state govts and police announcing several restrictions, Indians will face more subdued New Year's eve celebrations this year. Here's a state-by-state guide to what you can and can't do today

This New Year's Eve is being celebrated like none other, with pandemic restrictions limiting crowds and many people bidding farewell to a year they'd prefer to forget. With state governments and police announcing several restrictions, including prohibiting gathering of more than five people on the road and on events, shows or programmes, Indians will face more subdued New Year's eve celebrations this year. The Centre has advised SOPs to keep large gatherings to a minimum as the highly infectious UK strain of the coronavirus has surfaced in the country.

With a slew of restrictions, here’s a state-by-state guide to what you can and can’t do today.

New Year's eve in Delhi

In Delhi, night curfew has been declared from 11 pm and 6 am. "No New Year celebratory events, congregations and gatherings at public places shall be permitted from 11 pm of December 31 to 6 am of January 1 and 11 pm of January 1 and 6 am of January 2," the Delhi Disaster Management Authority has declared. Traffic movement will not be restricted. However no vehicle, both private or public transport, shall be allowed to proceed towards Connaught Place post 8 pm till celebrations are over. To ease overcrowding on New Year's Eve DMRC announced that exit from Rajiv Chowk metro station will not be allowed after 9 pm onwards.

Maharashtra (Mumbai)

New Year's eve in Mumbai

Night curfew with similar hours has been announced in Mumbai also. Large gatherings have been banned, but there will be no restriction on visiting friends, relatives and public places in groups of four persons. The use of face masks and social distancing will remain mandatory, the Mumbai Police said, warning that drones will be used to keep watch.

Karnataka

New Year's eve in Bengaluru

In Bengaluru, prohibitory orders banning large gatherings will be imposed from noon today, the city police commissioner has said.

Section 144 imposed from 6 pm in Mangaluru. The government, through guidelines and orders, has prohibited parties, and special events at clubs, pubs, restaurants, and other places that attract people in large numbers without social distancing.

Tamil Nadu

New Year's eve in Chennai

Chennai , too, has barred large gatherings, especially on beaches and roads. The hugely popular Marina beach, Elliot's beach and other beaches have been shut. Hotels and bars will have to shut by 10 pm. Hotels have been asked to verify credentials of visitors. 

New Year celebrations in Puducherry

Puducherry has permitted celebration on beaches with regular rules.

New Year celebration in West Bengal

Bengal has called for peaceful, disciplined celebrations, saying extremes like night curfews "not perceived to be require". "No need for extreme steps but urge caution over new year celebrations... Best to maintain a careful middle path," the state's Chief Secretary has said.

New Year celebration in Chandigarh

In Chandigarh too, there will be no special restrictions. "Review meeting was held; No night curfew in Chandigarh on the New Year Eve as there is a decline in Covid positive cases. Chandigarh police will ensure the existing Covid protocols are followed," Lieutenant Governor VP Badnore has tweeted.

New Year's eve celebration in Punjab

Night curfew will be in place in Punjab. The Amarinder Singh government has decided to lift it from January 1, and advised the public to follow Covid appropriate behaviour. Night curfew is in place today from 10 pm to 5 am in all cities and towns and hotels, restaurants, marriage palaces will be closed by 9.30 pm.The ceiling of 100 people and 250 people in all the indoor and outdoor social gatherings in the state will be applicable only till tonight.

Restrictions in Kerala

The Kerala government issued an order prohibiting all public gatherings during New Year celebrations and directed that all celebrations in the state on Thursday should cease by 10.00 pm.

"Inter alia, use of face masks, maintenance of social distance, and sanitising to break the chain of disease transmission are reiterated. No public gatherings are permitted as part of New Year celebrations on New Year's Eve. All New Year celebrations on New Year's Eve (December 31) should cease by 10 .00 pm," the government said.

Restrictions in Gujarat

The night curfew will be strictly enforced after 9 pm today in Ahmeddabad city.

Odisha prohibits New Year celebrations

Odisha government has  totally prohibited zero night and New Years celebrations across the state but allowed reopening of cinema halls, theatres and other entertainment facilities from January 1, 2021 as part of Unlock 8.

Any person found violating the order shall be punished under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and other relevant laws, Chief Secretary A K Tripathy said.

Haryana

Gurgaon New Year celebrations to go on as usual, security beefed-up

Around 4,000 police personnel have been deployed in Gurugram on the New Year's Eve, with special traffic arrangements made to regulate movement of revellers.

"Like every year new year celebrations would be organised across the district's hotels, clubs, restaurants and malls and so to avoid any untoward incident we have intensified the security across the district. The special forces will keep an eye on anti-social elements," said Gurugram Police Commissioner K. K. Rao.

Telangana

Liquor shops will remain open till midnight in Telangana in view of new year eve celebrations, the state Prohibition and Excise Department said.

Permission has been given to the licence holders of bars, event organisers and In-House licences of Tourism Development Corporation to serve liquor up to 1 am, on the intervening night of December 31 and January 1, it said.