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Scattered response on first day post lockdown in Pune, PCMC
Clothes shops, mobile accessories, grocery shops reported a scattered presence of customers
The Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad cities which unlocked after 10 days of lockdown saw a scattered number of customers in their respective markets on Friday.
Clothes shops, mobile accessories, grocery shops reported a scattered presence of customers.
The odd even guidelines issued by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) saw a decent response on day one as few areas strictly followed the guidelines while others ignored.
The odd even guidelines were strictly followed by Pimpri market, Bhosari, Akurdi, Laxmi road, Tilak road, Bajirao road, Navi peth, Sadashiv peth, Hadapsar, Kothrud, JM road, FC road, Camp, Appa Balwant chowk.
Shravan Hardikar, Pimpri Chinchwad municipal commissioner said, “We are evaluating the even/odd guidelines with the consultation of the PMC and District Information office (DIO) and soon a decision will be finalised on the five days a week suggested by traders association and scrapping up even/odd guidelines. At the moment action will be taken against people who do not follow even/odd rules.”
According to the even/odd guidelines, the shops on the right side of the road will remain open on even dates while shops on the left side will remain open on odd dates. All businesses will only operate from 9 am to 5pm, and those found violating the guidelines will be shut down.
“We completely oppose the odd-even guidelines but today all the traders have followed it as the civic body is following what state government has told them and the rule will remain till July 31 after that there will be new guidelines,” said Mahendra Pitaliya, secretary of federation of traders association of Pune (FTAP).
The Pimpri market which faced many problems in the past for not following odd even guidelines followed it strictly on day one. The guidelines were also followed by MG road camp, Laxmi road, Bajirao road and Navipeth markets. Tulshibaug was not entirely operational, and guidelines were not followed.
“We will not be repeating our mistakes this time. The odd even guidelines will be followed till the civic body wants. We don’t expect a rush of people in the cloth market as many people have not got their salaries so how will they come for shopping,” said the owner of Waheguru clothes shop in Pimpri.
The guidelines were not implemented in Chinchwad, Dange chowk, Baner, Aundh, Balewadi, Tulsibaugh areas. A partial implementation of the guidelines was seen in Aundhgaon, Thergaon, Mahalunge, Hinjewadi, Dhyari, Satara road, Katraj, Ambegaon.
“We don’t have any idea about the even/odd guidelines. We have already faced so many losses, we cannot keep our shop closed,” said Raunak Shah of Raunak hardware on Baner road.
“We have requested Pune police commissioner and civic body chief, Vikram Kumar to scrap even/odd guidelines and traders will follow five days (10am-8pm) week routine with shops completely shut on the weekends. The authorities are yet to make any decision on the same. Let’s wait for July 31,” added Pitaliya.
Most of the shops followed temperature check up at the entrance of the shops and workers were given protective guards for their safety.
The traffic movement on roads has increased as civic bodies have allowed 50 per cent staff to go to office.
“On most roads, traffic was noticed in morning hours (office hours) but after that it slowed down later in the day,” said Satish Nandurkar, police inspector at MIDC Bhosari.
Satara road was also buzzing with vehicles in the morning hours.
Ramesh Phadnis, a Thergaon resident said, “The crowd at Dange Chowk was less in comparison to when unlock happened on the previous occasion. The even/odd guidelines were not followed here during the whole day.”
