A great evening out

Mohd. Saleem, 32, Optician came with family

We specially planned our meet. All are my cousins and relatives. This is a very good initiative by the government. In these tough times, children were trapped inside the house and because of the Covid we couldn't take our kids to other parks. But since tank bund is a huge place, and it was less crowded today, we really enjoyed our time.

Dubba Raju, 46, advocate came with wife Swati, home-maker, and sons Shreeyash, 13, and Aarush, 9

We come here every Sunday. But this Sunday was different and one of the most peaceful we ever spent on Tank Bund. It felt like a jail break. My wife is worried about accidents but today we could enjoy without tension. I think the government should extend the timings from 4 pm to 11 pm.

Ashmit Kahneja, 30, armed forces

I come to jog on Tank Bund everyday. It was one of best jogs today as it was absolutely hassle and pollution free. This initiative is appreciable. They can make such an arrangements on every public holiday. It would be great if this is daily applied for two hours in the morning and two hours late at night where one can jog and workout well. 

B Koteshwara Rao, 47, constable:

Fifty to 60 constables have been posted at every 15-20 metres distance for the safety of the people who have come to enjoy an evening out. We are facing some difficulties to ease the traffic jam on the roads leading to Tank Bund which is shut. But I am happy to see the public have come here and are enjoying themselves on Tank Bund.

Baswa Pawar, 19 and sister Simwa, 17:

My sister and I sell toys for children every day. We usually sell the toys at the Paradise Circle in Secunderabad and make around, Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 in five to six hours. But today, I spent around four hours trying to sell the toys and could only make around Rs 200. Business was a bit less today as there was a small crowd at Tank Bund.

Ahmed Virdiwala

I came here, specially for my elderly parents who always wanted to visit Tank Bund but couldn't because of the fear of accidents and pollution. They enjoyed themselves. I think the number of shelters must be increased. There are no tents for children to play, no games, no small rides for young kids. I think more lights can be put up to light up the atmosphere.

Zayn Ahmed, Mohd Aleem, Affxan Mohd, all 18:

We visit Tank Bund every night as we stay nearby, but the police shoo us away. We earn money by posting videos online, and we like the Hussainsagar as the background. Today we had unlimited time here. We could many videos and we rather enjoyed the fresh air. Every day our videos showed traffic but today it was peaceful.

Maheshwari Malik, 25, MNC employee, came with neighbour to walk her dog:

I really enjoyed spending my evening with my dog at Tank Bund. Not only did U enjoy the breeze,  but also loved taking my dog for a walk while enjoying the beautiful view. Many dogs were spotted here and it was not as bad as an actual dog park. I will surely get my dog here every Sunday.

Sri Lokeshwari and MNC officemate Sukanya B., both 25:

We rarely visit Tank Bund because it's overcrowded and has heavy traffic. We also avoid the place because of harassment and safety issues. Today was totally different, not only did we enjoy ourselves thoroughly but also the feeling of not being stalked was refreshing. The police were deployed every 15 metres which helped us enjoy our time without any worry.