Delhi: Markets open, but owners find odds tough

NEW DELHI: Markets across the city on Tuesday started limping back to the new normal. Though shopkeepers and their employees were seen disinfecting and tidying up their outlets, which were closed for almost two months, customers shied away from venturing out.
When TOI visited Connaught Place, Khan Market, Janakpuri City Centre, Sarojini Nagar, South Extension, Laxmi Nagar and Karol Bagh, it found 25-35% shops open, but most of them wore a deserted look.Most shop owners expressed apprehension about consumer footfall picking up in the first two weeks.
In Connaught Place, shops of clothing, accessories and jewellery and food outlets had opened their shutters. Market associations said a different set of rules should be framed for spacious planned markets as many were finding it difficult to implement the odd-even rule.
New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA) president Atul Bhargava said, “We are willing to take all precautions. Different set of rules should be applicable for planned and unplanned markets. There are some properties that have 10 outlets, while many others have just one. How will the market associations decide which places should remain open?”
Shopkeepers said they are likely to allow customers in only from Wednesday. Devendra Kumar, a clothing store owner at Janakpuri District Centre, said, “We checked our stock and clothes were put on the shelves again. Each corner was disinfected thoroughly. Others are also following the same protocol.”
Sonu Malhotra, who runs Raj Rani Sanitary and Electrical Repair Shop at Rajouri Garden market, said he doesn’t expect things to return to normal anytime soon. “We inspected our goods and took around two hours to disinfect the shop. We got a few customers, but it will take a lot of time for things to go back to normal,” he added.
Vijay Shukla, who has a standalone shop selling tobacco products, said he couldn’t even make 33% of his earlier sales. Several paan vendors talked about supply chain problems in procuring tobacco and other products. Liquor shops in west Delhi had no crowding, while many outlets in places like Munirka and Gole Market were found shut.
At the popular upscale Khan Market, around 100 shops were open, 40 of essential goods. The traders said they were following the odd-even rule based on store numbers. The market association, however, said operational problems may make this difficult in the long-run.
Khan Market Traders’ Association president Sanjiv Mehra said, “It will create a lot of inconvenience to customers as they know us by name and not store numbers. People may come to the market only to find the shop of their choice closed. They will end up visiting the market multiple times, which will result in crowding.”
An innovative sanitiser stand was being sold at Karol Bagh market. By pressing a foot pedal, one could release a small amount of sanitiser and use it. Kamal Kumar, the seller who also runs a clothing shop, said, “We are selling them for Rs 1,100 along with a 5 litre bottle of sanitiser, which costs Rs 1,000. Each shop will need them once people start visiting the market. This implement will avoid people touching the sanitiser bottle.”
Murli Mani, who heads Ajmal Khan Market Traders’ Association, said all 300 shops have been marked with numbers and traders have agreed to open alternate shops.
While a few shops were open in Sarojini Nagar, Ashok Randhawa from the market association said they held a meeting with authorities and decided to remain closed till the month end. He added that some of the restrictions were impractical.