Covid-19 rules violated as markets in 3 cities see huge crowd ahead of Diwali

Written by Sharangee Dutta | Edited by , Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Published on: Oct 31, 2021 11:54 pm IST

Earlier in the day, pictures showed a sea of people shopping at popular markets in Delhi, including Lajpat Nagar, Sadar Bazar and Sarojini Nagar, without following Covid-19 protocols.

With Diwali only a few days away, gatherings of thousands of people are noticed in markets across three Indian cities without any adherence to coronavirus disease (Covid-19) protocol, such as wearing of masks and maintaining physical distance. According to visuals and videos shared on Twitter by news agency ANI, people were seen flocking to markets in Delhi, Chennai and Indore in large numbers despite the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

Massive crowd was seen at Indore;s Rajwada Market ahead of Diwali 2021. (ANI Photo)
Massive crowd was seen at Indore;s Rajwada Market ahead of Diwali 2021. (ANI Photo)

Earlier in the day, pictures showed shoppers in popular markets in Delhi, including Lajpat Nagar, Sadar Bazar and Sarojini Nagar. “It is natural to have crowds… during festivals but proper arrangement should be made by the administration, which has not been done," a leader of Sadar Bazar market association was quoted as saying by ANI.

Similar scenes were reported from Karol Bagh market, yet another popular market in the national capital. Notably, the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) recently announced several Covid-19 relaxations, including permitting weekly markets to reopen starting November 1, allowing cinema halls, theatres and multiplexes to run at full capacity, and more.

Not just Delhi, Rajwada Market in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, and T Nagar Market in Chennai were also seen filled with hundreds of shoppers. In pictures pertaining to the Rajwada Market, several persons, including shopkeepers were seen without masks and not maintaining social distance. The situation was the same in Chennai as well with the T Market brimming with shoppers ahead of Diwali on November 4.

Meanwhile, Delhi on Sunday reported 45 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking the overall tally of the Union territory (UT) to 14,39,870. The city logged zero fatality due to the infection for the ninth straight day.

Tamil Nadu, on the other hand, reported a whooping 1,009 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, taking the state’s cumulative tally to 26,55,015, according to health bulletin data. The active caseload in the southern state stands at 11,492. Madhya Pradesh logged 16 new cases on Sunday, following which the state’s tally rose to 7,92,854.

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