Mumbai to be dry again after state withdraws permission to open wine shops

On Sunday the state government had relaxed the rules to allow for opening for wine stores and shops selling non-essential items in Mumbai.

Mumbai is set to go dry again after Municipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi withdrew the permission for opening of wine stores in the city following crowding and violation of social distancing norms at these outlets in the last two days.

On Sunday, the state government had relaxed the rules to allow for opening of wine stores and shops selling non-essential items in Mumbai. However, governement was forced to rescind the approval after crowding outside the stores led to a law and order situation in few places and defeated the purpose of social distancing. Now, shops selling non-essential items in Mumbai too, have been ordered to shut down.

"It has been observed that number of positive cases in the city of Mumbai have been rising and downward trend is yet to set in and gathering of crowds in large numbers without following social distancing will be detrimental to control the spread of virus and advantages of lockdown will be lost due to gathering of people in large numbers," Pardeshi said in his order on Tuesday.