Markets remain messy as people refuse to maintain a safe distance

Hawkers Blame Public Attitude For Crowding, Corpn Puts Onus On Shops

Srikkanth.D@timesgroup.com

12.04.2020

Appeals to the public to exercise physical distancing while visiting vegetable markets have not attracted the desired results, evident from the photographs from such markets across the city.

At Thiruvanmiyur market on Saturday, even a coronavirus scarecrow did not serve its purpose as public continued to flout physical distancing norms. Similar scenes were witnessed at the Lloyds Road market near Royapettah and several other markets in the city, where public thronged showing no concern for the virus scare.

Corporation should instead allow hawkers to spread out and set up shops across a neighbourhood so that people need not venture to the market to buy essentials, said A Saikiran, a resident of Thiruvanmiyur.

Vendors, however say that the public attitude is the reason for overcrowding. “Take for instance, the Koyambedu market. It is meant only for wholesale trade. But, one can see people on two-wheelers and buying vegetables there. People are not treating the situation like an emergency, but rather like a holiday,” said A M Vikaramaraja, president, Federation of Tamil Nadu Traders’ Association. According to Vikramaraja, public buy vegetables for two or three houses as rates are cheap at Koyambedu and it is the responsibility of authorities to not allow those other than retailers to enter the market.

“Authorities say that the onus rests with the vendors to ensure social distancing. Will public listen to us or the authorities,” asked Vikramaraja. He also suggested that the authorities rent wedding halls and set up stalls there to ensure physical distancing.

Corporation officials said that they have shut down markets when physical distancing goes for a complete toss. Even last week, we had sealed a makeshift vegetable market in T Nagar after norms were flouted, said a senior official.

With the lockdown likely to be extended, corporation officials said that the mobile vegetable markets that have been introduced in the city will be able to meet the needs of the public.

A total of 7,000 mobile grocery units have been commissioned across the city to ensure people don’t have to venture out needlessly.

An area of concern for the civic body, however, is regulating the public thronging the meat stalls and fish markets, which have continuously seen physical distancing norms flouted every Sunday since the lockdown.

“In neighbouring municipalities like Pammal, Tiruverkadu, Avadi, meat shops have been asked to remain shut. A blanket ban like that in the city is difficult as the number of shops are more and the fish markets do not come under the purview of the civic body,” a senior corporation official said.

YET TO FALL IN LINE: (Top) People standing close to each other at Thiruvanmiyur market on Saturday. A recent photo of Koyambedu market

HAWKERS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SET UP SHOPS ACROSS A NEIGHBOURHOOD

SO THAT PEOPLE DON’T GO TO MARKETS, SAID A SAIKIRAN, OF THIRUVANMIYUR