Traders anxious as test results still pending from Azadpur mandi

The market has around 2,800 registered traders and 12,000 people who work there as porters, loaders, labourers, accountants, etc. On an average day, it witnesses arrival of around 3,300 trucks.

A large number of traders at the Azadpur Mandi in north Delhi have refused to resume business until contact tracing of all those associated with Mandi who have reported Covid positive so far. Four confirmed cases, including one death, have been found to have a direct link with Delhi’s largest mandi, which is the food supply lifeline of the capital.

Besides four cases in mandi, all of whom were traders, the daughter of a fifth trader tested positive last week, health officials confirmed. (Sanchit Khanna/HT file photo)

With reports of more cases associated with the market continue doing the rounds contributing to the anxiety of the traders and their employees, traders claimed the authorities are not coming out with precise data about cases from the market. “Now we have reached a stage where the total number of Covid-19 cases associated with the market is difficult to ascertain,” said Adil Khan, chairperson of the Azadpur agriculture produce market committee (APMC).

Besides four cases in mandi, all of whom were traders, the daughter of a fifth trader tested positive last week, health officials confirmed.

“So far, we have names of at least eight people who are suspected to have the infection but there is no official confirmation. Large groups of traders have refused to resume business until all contact tracing is done and pending test results are out,” said Anil Malhotra, a trader and elected member of the market’s committee.

District Magistrate (North) Deepak Shinde said: “It is difficult to share official figures at this juncture. The number of people being traced as contacts and being sent for tests is on a rise. We have to have a final list of results and more details to ascertain figures. We are working in adherence to all protocols.”

So far, test results of at least 100 persons associated with the market in capacities that range from trader to porters and accountants are pending. While 50 of them were tested after they complained of symptoms following a screening programme that covered around 400 persons in the last 48 hours, the others were contacts of the four cases, including the one who died, said a senior official in the district health department.

The market has around 2,800 registered traders and 12,000 people who work there as porters, loaders, labourers, accountants, etc. On an average day, it witnesses arrival of around 3,300 trucks.

Meanwhile, the Azadpur APMC issued guidelines to regulate the movement of trucks inside and around the premises of the market, spread over 101 acres space in north Delhi, to ensure congestion does not take place and social distancing norms can be better adhered to.

The regulations include reserving an open space in Burari area where a token counter would be set up for access into the market premises based on serial numbers, issuing not more than 3300 tokens to truckers each day, issuing not more than 200 tokens per hour and penalising drivers who park vehicles for more than six hours anywhere inside the premises of the market, said the document which HT has seen.