Mysuru: Partial lockdown affects street vendors’ business

MYSURU: With a rise in the number of containment zones in the city, the authorities have started imposing restrictions on the movement of fruits and vegetable vendors after sunset.
Though the curbs are to be enforced after 8pm, the authorities are allegedly stopping the vendors from carrying out business from 6pm itself. The partial lockdown has come to haunt the vendors who have already been hit by the lockdown.
A chat centre owner Chandrakanth Rao told TOI that his business has improved since May, when the lockdown was eased.“The peak time for food business is 7pm-9pm. But the new direction (on stopping business after sunset) is affecting our business. But we will follow the order keeping in view the health issues and risks,” he said.
Recently, a vendor from Rammanahalli, who sold fruits by criss-crossing his van in south part of Mysuru city, tested positive to Covid-19. Meanwhile, a fast food centre near Mysuru Zoo was also sealed down. These two instances are said to have discouraged customers from eating out, thus affecting the food vendors’ business.
Street Vendors’ Association of India’s national vice-president and Mysuru Street Vendors’ Association general secretary Bhaskar Srinivas Raje Urs told TOI that the vendors are already in deep financial crisis due to lockdown.
“We have directed 6,000 members (those registered with the association) to follow norms on social distancing, masks and others as directed by the government. We also request the customers to follow these norms as they too are equally responsible to contain the virus spread,” he said.
MCC commissioner Gurudatta Hegde has also issued a direction to street vendors to follow the SOPs, failing which they will slap Rs 1,000 fine and also close the business.
There are over 10,000 street vendors in the city, and MCC has issued identification cards to 1,770 of them.