As Festive Shoppers Crowd Markets, Hawkers At Sarojini First Casualty

Shop at your own risk

- Paras Singh & Vibha Sharma

New Delhi: Purchases kept in abeyance in the Covid-restricted months and the imminent wedding season have led to people thronging the city’s markets. While this is a happy augury of economic revival, yet the crowding, often with open violation of anti-infection norms, may be behind the big surge in new Covid cases. Mask compliance in retail markets has relatively improved, but with wholesale markets in the Walled City and Sadar Bazar remaining trouble spots, the local administration has had to deploy civil defence volunteers to book those not maintaining physical distancing requirements.

On Monday, Delhi Police even closed down roadside shops in Sarojini Nagar Market to dissuade crowding. A dismayed Ashok Randhawa, president, Mini Market Traders’ Association, said, “Police got all four entries restricted and asked the shops to close and the common areas to be cleared. This kind of action will send the wrong message to buyers. We also want action against illegal hawkers, but shutting the entire market is not the solution to crowding.”