Bhubaneswar, Dec. 26: With the New Year round the corner, picnic spots in and around the city have started getting crowded. Police, however, are getting complaints about picnickers creating law and order problems at many places.

On Sunday, two groups of people, who had come to Deras, a picnic spot on the city outskirts, clashed following an incident of eve-teasing. The eve-teasers even misbehaved with the handful of policemen present at the spot. Later, the picnickers were dispersed from the spot only after a lathicharge.

In another incident, a local youth sustained injuries after a group of picnickers attacked him at Jhumuka picnic spot as he opposed them consuming alcohol and creating scenes. The police later rushed to the spot and admitted the injured to a hospital.

Chandaka police, however, said they were yet to get any formal complaint about these incidents. An officer said such incidents usually occurred frequently at picnic spots.

There are around 10 picnic spots in the city and on its outskirts. Thousands of picnickers throng these places during the festive winter season, which normally starts from November and continues till March. Residents near many of these picnic spots complained that the picnickers consumed alcohol and passed lewd comments at local girls.

“Some of them even indulge in quarrels among themselves or with other picnic parties,” said Pravat Sahu, a resident of Dholakatha, a village close to Jhumuka.

Another villager, Ranjan Rout of Godibari near Deras, complained that these people used slangs and passed obscene remarks at the villagers after getting drunk.

“Such incidents lead to quarrel between the villagers and the picnickers. We have complained to the police several times in the past, but they hardly take any step to stop this nuisance,” said Rout.

On the other hand, many picnickers alleged that local youths near the picnic spots harassed them. Local youths usually pass comments at the girls of the picnic parties and when the male members oppose to this, they start fighting. “Recently, we had faced a situation where some youths from a nearby village unnecessarily created scenes and demanded money from us,” said Alok Deo, a private company employee, who had been to Dhauli with his colleagues for picnic.