Delhi: Weekly markets prepare to reopen amid confusion over DDMA guidelines

New Delhi, Aug 8: Confusion and uncertainty prevail among trade associations in Delhi as they prepare to reopen weekly markets from Monday.

The weekly markets were closed after a lockdown was imposed in Delhi on April 19 due to a surge in cases during the second Covid wave.

Later, in mid June one weekly market in each municipal zone was allowed to open within government school grounds or other such open areas.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Saturday that the weekly markets have been allowed to reopen from August 9. Even though the decision was welcomed, vendors and market associations were still uncertain about the location of the weekly markets for the lack of clear guidelines from the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). No weekly market is allowed to function on roadsides, according to the current guidelines.

Sanjay Sachdeva, secretary of Delhi State Weekly Market Association, said they have not received any guidelines from the DDMA so far, however, they will prepare to reopen according to the guidelines in effect.

"We only know what we have read in news today about reopening, we don't even know where we are going to set up the market. In any case, we have asked shopkeepers to put sanitiser bottles and extra masks at their stalls for customers," Sachdeva, who represents Moti Nagar weekly market zone, told PTI.

According to rough estimates, there are around 2,700 weekly markets that open on designated days in a week in 12 of the municipal zones, Delhi Cantonment and the New Delhi Municipal Council.

Around four lakh people are associated with them for livelihood, vendors claim. A detailed order by the DDMA on reopening of weekly markets and guidelines to be followed by the stakeholders is awaited.

Currently, only 50 per cent of the allowed vendors in a weekly market per zone are permitted to transact business there. Strict compliance of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and all instructions, guidelines issued by the Government of India and the Delhi government are ensured by officials. Rajkumar Kataria, general secretary of South Delhi Weekly Bazaar Association, said the vendors have been asked to maintain social distancing among themselves and the customers.

"Since the tables are 6-ft wide, there's enough distance between two vendors. And customers are anyway on the other side. Additionally, we will hang banners for social distancing, deploy our volunteer in the crowd who will distribute masks to those not wearing," Kataria said.

A senior police officer said with the weekly markets set to reopen, a team led by an inspector rank officer will be deployed to ensure shopkeepers as well as buyers follow COVID-19 appropriate behaviour. The security at the markets has also been tightened in the view of upcoming Independence Day.

"We will also be using public address system requesting public to follow Covid appropriate behaviour. Foot patrolling will also be intensified in the market areas and strict action will be taken against those found violating COVID-19 guidelines," the officer said.

Sandeep Bhardwaj, vice chairman of Chamber of Trade and Industry, said, "The Delhi government should deploy civil defence volunteers and the civic bodies should come up with a plan for crowd control and monitoring at the markets".