chennai what if the government has ordered closure of bars as part of precautions against the virus tipplers have turned streets with tasmac outlets as open bars and the worst hit are residents in the neighbourhoodas soon as the shutters of liquor outlets were pulled up at noon on tuesday many were found drinking in the open in many neighbourhoods there they stood barely hiding the bottles one held out a plastic tumbler into which another poured a stiff drink and water before the two gulped down on canal bank road near the kasturba nagar mrts station the public drinkers littered the place with empty bottles caps and leftovers of foodashok kumar a resident of adyar said public drinking has always been a menace now it has been double the trouble usually they drink on the streets in the late evening hours mostly after the bars shut at 10pm now this menace has started early in the day said an auto rickshaw driver in fact the government should have closed the liquor outlets along with barsemployees at tasmac outlet counters said tipplers dont listen to them if told not to drink in front of the shops they ask us where would they go to drink after we closed the bars but not the shop said a tasmac salesman in the northern suburbs but at some places some men were seen soliciting customers into alleys and selling water and snacks luz corner a man was seen ushering in prospective customers on the street adjacent to the thirumayilai mrts station no policeman was seen in the vicinity when contacted adyar deputy commissioner pakalavan said action would be taken against such individuals nobody can use such public space to consume liquor he saidtasmac officials said they would form special teams to control the spillover on streets a senior official said police assistance would be sought to check such public nuisance near the outlets the teams will visit the outlets and their vicinities the official told toi chennai region which comprises the city and the neighbouring districts of chengalpet kancheepuram and tiruvallur has 718 bars attached to tasmac outlets of which more than 300 are in the core city