Chennai’s Koyambedu market reopens; people indifferent to COVID rules
The Chennai Koyambedu wholesale vegetable market, which emerged as a coronavirus hotspot in May, reopened on Tuesday.
The Chennai Koyambedu wholesale vegetable market, which emerged as a coronavirus hotspot in May, reopened on Tuesday (September 29). But not many in the market seem to have learned any lessons from COVID-19 which has infected over 5.8 lakh people in Tamil Nadu.
Traders and workers were seen without wearing protective face masks and social distancing was absent.
“We are not scared of COVID 19. How can we earn money if we are scared? We had a tough time without a salary for four months,” a worker said.
The food grains section of the Koyambedu market was reopened on September 18, while the vegetable section reopened on Tuesday (September 29). The remaining sections, including fruits and flowers, are expected to reopen soon.
The markets come back to life as the survival of hundreds of people is at stake.
The entire market has 2,000 shops, and around one-fourth of the market has reopened. It had shut down in April after 3,500 people contracted the virus from this market, earning it a dubious distinction of a super spreader.
“Many labourers work in the area. They often remove the mask, wipe their faces and wear it again. We can’t do much about it,” said a shop manager.
As Chennai looks to unlock after months of a strict lockdown, a daily spike in COVID cases – more than 1,000 per day for a fifth day on September 29 – has left the people and the authorities extremely worried. The city authorities have imposed fines on those who violate the rules.
“We can’t afford casualness. So far 55,000 cases, including those related to institutions, have been registered and around ₹ 1 crore in fines has been collected. The intention is to make them understand that they are not only putting themselves at risk but others too,” said Health Secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan.
Meanwhile, the Market Management Committee (MMC) has been circulating applications to Koyambedu retail and semi-wholesale traders who want alternate sites to open their shops. A trader said he has filled in the application form and submitted it to the chief administrative officer’s office.
