Overdrive on Sozzle Street – 900 complaints a month on Dial 112, public drinking becomes a nuisance in Gzb

Ghaziabad: Every other night, returning home from work, a Ghaziabad resident would find cars parked outside the gate of his Indirapuram condominium. “Sometimes the stereos would be on full blast — audible from my flat, typically after midnight. Working in Delhi for 15 years, I’ve seen many car-o-bars, but these still surprised me. The groups made no attempt to be discreet. I’ve seen bottles kept on bonnets, on the road, even on dividers. And I’ve seen a few brawls,” he said.Police data shows his experience is far from uncommon. Public drinking has become a serious nuisance in Ghaziabad, with 4,520 complaints received on UP Police’s Dial 112 between Jan 1 and May 15 this year, leading to cases or fines against 9,885 people.Between May 1 and 15 alone, 474 complaints came in. Additional CP (headquarters) Keshav Chaudhary said most were from Indirapuram and Nandgram police stations, both areas with large high-rise societies. “A team from the concerned police station went to the spot and took immediate action upon receiving information,” he said.The nuisance extends well beyond drinking — it is accompanied by brawls, eve-teasing, and threats against those who try to intervene. Empty bottles smashed on roads have become a brazen symbol of this public flouting of rules. Many gather around two-wheelers, using the seats as table-tops for the glasses and snacks. In case of four-wheelers, the bonnets become tables.The offenders are not always outsiders. Residents of some high-rise societies also partake, often turning aggressive when questioned.Deepak Kumar, president of Ghaziabad’s AOA and a resident of Amrapali Village in Indirapuram, told TOI that residents have been caught drinking outside their own society gates and threatening security guards. “When guards asked some men not to drink outside the gate given the presence of women and children, they were told: ‘chutti ke baad gate ke bahar ao, tab bataata hoon’ (I’ll see you outside the gate after your shift),” he said.Another regular group is autorickshaw drivers, who ferry passengers through the day but after dark gather to drink in the open.“Some are parked outside societies all day looking for passengers. At night, the passenger hunt stops and the drinking begins,” Kumar added.“These men frequently get into fights, abusing each other and creating a nuisance that makes it difficult to even pass through the stretch. They sit outside shops with no apparent fear of police patrolling,” said Kavita Yadav, a resident of Indirapuram.Sudeep Dwivedi, former AOA president of Gulmohar Garden in Raj Nagar Extension, said women no longer step out in the area after 9pm.At the heart of the problem is the need for continuous monitoring. AOAs regularly raise concerns and file complaints, and police do respond — but the effect is short-lived. “Patrolling reduces after a few days and things go back to the way they were,” Kumar said.Compounding the problem is the nature of residential neighbourhoods themselves, where parked vehicles draw little suspicion unless a complaint is raised. Police rarely monitor these pockets proactively, since the cars could simply belong to visitors.The proximity of liquor shops adds another layer. “There are more than four alcohol shops within a 1km radius of the society — one just 50 metres from a gate. If my wife needs something after sunset, I go in her place,” Dwivedi said.A similar situation plays out in Crossing Republik, which has four wine shops within its police station radius. “Public drinking is rampant and police don’t act,” said Sanjay Kumar Jha, a resident of Gaur Global Village. “When I was an AOA member, we found many residents bringing friends and colleagues to party in the open,” he said.Clusters of food carts serving hot snacks fuel the problem further. Drinkers swarm these stalls with little regard for traffic, leaving vehicles parked haphazardly and causing regular congestion. “Traffic goes completely haywire. When residents ask for space, egos flare. A few days ago, someone drinking inside a car swung the door open and an e-rickshaw collided with it. They beat the e-rickshaw driver badly,” Dwivedi said.One resident noted that after 8pm, the market crowd is largely men drinking inside cars. “The shopkeepers and food cart owners know them well. They quickly take orders and serve them,” said Sunita Singh, a resident of Charms Castle.Police have directed shopkeepers and cart owners not to allow open drinking near their outlets, but some actively encourage it for the business it brings. Additional CP (law and order) Raj Karan Nayyar said officers respond swiftly to Dial 112 calls and book offenders under Section 34 of the Police Act. “We have already asked AOAs to flag anti-social elements — police will act immediately,” he said.