LUCKNOW, Feb. 27 -- A two-hour special drive by the Lucknow police against public drinking has revealed a sharp zone-wise imbalance, with the West Zone - largely comprising old city areas - accounting for 204 of the 326 penalties imposed across the state capital. According to police data shared on Thursday, the crackdown carried out between 9 pm and 11 pm on Wednesday covered 329 locations in the city, during which 2,211 individuals were checked at various locations. The drive targeted people consuming alcohol in public spaces and those allegedly creating a nuisance or obstructing traffic. Official figures show that of the 326 violators penalised, 204 were from the West Zone, including areas such as Chowk, Dubagga, Balaganj and Talkatora among others. In comparison, the Central Zone, including Hazratganj and Charbagh, recorded 28 penalties, while the East Zone reported 33, the South Zone 25 and the North Zone 36. Police teams in the West Zone also conducted the highest number of checks, covering 116 locations and screening 846 individuals. Officials said this contributed to the higher number of penalties. However, the disproportionate share of action in one zone has drawn attention to the possibility that certain western pockets may be emerging as recurring hotspots for public drinking and related disturbances. Police said the campaign was launched following repeated complaints from residents about people consuming alcohol on roadsides, in parks, markets, bus stands, intersections and other crowded areas, causing inconvenience to commuters, women and the general public. The drive was conducted on the directions of commissioner of police Amrendra Kumar Sengar and supervised by joint commissioner of police (law and order) Bablu Kumar. Sengar said the objective of the exercise was to ensure peace, safety and discipline in public spaces. He reiterated that strict legal action would be taken against those found disturbing law and order. While the commissionerate maintained that enforcement was uniform and complaint-driven, the data highlight a clear concentration of penalties in the West Zone....