As Sitabuldi market re-opened on Monday, Nagpurians thronged the market. Though State Government has relaxed the curbs and the sight gives positive feeling of new start, one must not forget that pandemic is not over.
Principal Correspondent :
It is after four months that Government removed the lockdown completely on Monday and routine life began as usual. It was expected that people would throng the streets, shops, malls, hotels. That did happen, but in some areas. Probably people have become habitual of staying home mostly, or coming out cautiously. Most were not ready to accept that it was a complete unlock. Some people expressed the unlock should have been in a gradual manner. Whatever may be the theory, the freedom is back now, but with some issues.
The shops in congested areas like Bidipeth, Sakkardara, Subhedar lay out, Hudkeshwar, Mahal, Gandhibag, Itwari, Satranjipura, Bajeria, Jaripatka, Indora, Shantinagar, Pachpaoli, Lakadganj, Telphone square, Ganjakhet, Shahid chowk, Golibar Chowk, Vaishali Nagar, Sitabuldi, Old Shukrawari, Model Mill, Fawara chowk, Gandhigate, Tilak Putla, Chitnis park, Badkas Chowk, Zenda Chowk, Ayachit Mandir, Kelibag road, Dasra road, Lakadganj, Garoba Maidan, Mangalwari, Dighori, Bada Tajabad, Ayodhya Nagar, Gokulpeth, Bajaj Nagar, Gopal Nagar, Mominpura etc opened with full response. Markets like Gokulpeth, Cotton Market, Santra Market, Budhwar Bazar witnessed quite an impressive crowd. Most shops did open but did not operate. They did all the cleaning work as most people want to go step by step. Secondly, workers in most establishments have not joined fully. For example, with restaurants not running during lockdown, the owners sent their workers to their respective places or some had left due to non-receipt of payment. For such establishments, removal of lockdown was neither a good news nor a bad one. They found themselves helpless. Several eating joints witnessed young crowd. Most Tea-vendors have earned name for such happy crowding. ‘Baba Chai’ near Ravi Nagar square, ‘Mamu Tea’ near Ajni, Moti Chai near University etc have become the joints where people gather and enjoy their day’s beginning.
These groups came together and enjoyed happy crowding. Ankit Verma, a young 25-year old professional said, “Lockdown has no logic. In fact our economy is in doldrums. Most people have lost jobs. The scare of this dreaded virus is killing several others. Many youngsters have become wayward as they are hardly finding any future in the present juncture. I feel let people live their life and now after several lockdowns people must have learnt lessons. In fact most have started following COVID norms. I personally feel there should not be lockdown now.” Despite complete unlock, around 40 per cent public still was in homes. The scare of coronavirus is still there and people are finding coming out of that fear very difficult. There was different feeling four months ago when lockdown began. Then people were not very much ready for the same. But this time when lockdown was removed today, the idea was not that well received by the people.
