Curbs relaxed or not, Chandni Chowk to stay shut till May 31
SAFETY FIRST Traders’ associations say ensuring social distance in the market would be ‘impossible’
nNEWDELHI: Delhi’s iconic Chandni Chowk market will stay shut till May 31, the traders union said on Saturday. The move comes at a time the Delhi government is exploring ways to reopen markets in the city that have been shuttered since the national lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19 was imposed on March 25.
Sanjay Bhargava, president Chandni Chowk Sarva Vyapar Mandal, said the decision was taken for the “greater good”.
“Chandni Chowk is one of the busiest markets of the city. Social distancing is almost impossible because of the paucity of space. So, we have decided to extend lockdown in the market till May 31 in view of high number of cases being reported in Delhi. It is for the security and safety of traders, their staff and general public. By the end of May, the graph of Covid-19 is also expected to go down a bit,” Bhargava said.
Delhi had recorded 9,333 cases of the virus till Saturday, with 129 deaths, according to the Delhi government.
The Mughal-era market is one of the biggest textile and cloth markets in the city. As per the traders’ association estimates, around a lakh people visited the market every day between October 2019 and March 2020.
The third phase of the national lockdown will come to an end on May 17 and is expected to continue with more relaxations as far as the movement of people and vehicles and opening of businesses are concerned.
Though an official order to open markets in the city is yet to be issued, the Delhi government asked the Centre that markets in the Capital be allowed to open on an ‘odd-even’ basis from May 18 onwards.
Chandni Chowk falls in the central Delhi district, and is close to many containment zones such as Chandni Mahal, Nabi Karim, Sadar Bazar, and Ballimaran. The district has reported at least over 100 positive cases so far.
Ram Mehrotra, a local businessman,said the market has become more crowded ever since the Chandni Chowk redevelopment project began in December 2018. Work was to be completed in June 2019 but was extended to March 2020. The main road between Red Fort and Fatehpuri Masjid has been dug up under the redevelopment project, which aims to decongest the market and make it pedestrian-friendly.
“The situation got worse over the last festival season, with over one lakh people visiting the market a day. If the market is opened again, social distancing norms will be hard to follow. So it’s better if we keep it closed for 15 more days and open it when a concrete plan is in place,” Mehrotra said.
The market association has also requested the Central as well as the Delhi government to release SOPS (standard operating procedure) for all the markets across the city at least 10 days before lifting the lockdown. “The government should very clearly tell us about the ‘dos and don’t’ before opening of the markets. The ways to maintain social distancing and minimise crowding should also be specifically mentioned,” Bhargava said.
Meanwhile, market associations across the city have started drafting their own SOPS in the hope the government will allow markets to open from May 18.
Devraj Baweja, member Sadar Bazar Market Association, said, “We are yet to get any directive on reopening of markets but we are mulling how to ensure social distancing. Not more than two people will be allowed in a shop at a time, thermal screening will be mandatory and we will make circles outside shops, at distances of at least one metre,” he said.
Ashwani Marwah, general secretary Traders Association
Lajpat Nagar (TALN) said the market association would ensure all visitors follow social distancing norms and that customers are screened before entering shops.
Dr Jugal Kishore, head of the department of community medicine at Safdarjung Hospital, welcomed the decision and called it an example of community participation in combating a crisis.
“Opening of markets is necessary but maintaining social distancing and ensuring that virus does not spread is a responsibility to be shouldered by the government and the community. Chandni Chowk is more crowded than any other market in the city so it’s fine to wait for some time before opening it up,” he said.