SAMBALPUR: The Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) has decided to shift a major portion of the Golebazar vegetable market to a field in front of its office building from Wednesday.
Despite awareness drives and police intervention, the busiest market place in the city continues to remain crowded with people disregarding the lockdown. Considering the situation, the SMC decided to shift a number of street vendors to an open place to reduce the rush at the market.
SMC Enforcement Officer Subhankar Mohanty said vendors sitting on both sides of the road in Golebazar make the market pathway narrow. This leads to congestion and there is a lot of physical contact among people. Considering the risk, SMC decided to shift a part of the vegetable market to the Town Hall field in front of the SMC building. Two-wheelers will also be prohibited from entering the market area.
This apart, another vegetable market in Bhalupali area has been rearranged and half of the vendors will be shifted to a nearby field on Wednesday.Meanwhile, a 12-hour restriction was enforced in Sambalpur market from Tuesday. The SMC ordered vegetable markets to close by 6 pm. Besides, disinfection drive has also been launched in the city. On the first day, Golebazar and Khetrajpur markets were disinfected.
Mohanty said the disinfection drive will be carried out at places which witness large gathering. “We have started with the market places which usually remain crowded. SMC is providing the disinfectant and fire department is assisting us in spraying it at selected places,” he added.Sources said other market places will also be shifted to mitigate the risk of virus spread in the city.