Lesson not learnt: Trichy markets see huge crowds

Lesson not learnt: Trichy markets see huge crowds

Deepak.Karthik@timesgroup.com

Trichy:  11.05.2020

As the fish markets and meat stalls resumed business on Sunday, after being sealed on Sundays for a month, residents thronged the shops ignoring and violating all social distancing norms.

To avoid a huge crowds at markets, the district administration had, since April, banned fish stalls and meat shops from opening on Sundays. While the state is attempting to identify the daily wagers, who returned to their native districts after the closure of Koyambedu vegetable market, fish markets and meat stalls were given a relaxation by the district administration to do business from Sunday.

Huge crowds gathered at these stalls appeared to have forgotten the Koyambedu episode. With very limited space, Puthur fish market on Sunday saw most of the people wearing facemasks but they did not maintain social distance. Although, a few shops in Puthur market had signs for buyers to maintain social distancing, the rush to finish the purchase made the markings useless. “Residents should show responsibility. Market places are still vulnerable to the Covid-19 spread,” said, M Sekaran, president, federation of consumer and service organisations.

Meanwhile, the Trichy Corporation sealed at least 20 shops including bakeries in the past few days for not maintaining social distancing rules. Police personnel deployed in the fish market, however, appeared helpless as their instructions were ignored.

SOCIAL DISTANCING GONE FOR A TOSS: Huge crowds gathered at fish and meat stalls in Trichy on Sunday