Amidst stiff opposition on Day 1, lockdown kicks in
   Date :07-Apr-2021

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 Traders staging impromptu agitation against the fresh lockdown at Itwari Shaheed Chowk. (Pic by Satish Raut)
 
 
Staff Reporter :
 
Traders stage impromptu protest in Itwari and Khamla markets
 
 
The bustling city markets came to grinding halt as Lockdown 1 in new financial year kicked in from Tuesday onwards but not before facing stiff resistance from traders. The scene on Tuesday was reminiscent of last year when similar situation prevailed in aftermath of first ever nation-wide lockdown announced in wake of COVID-19. While that time everyone was in a state of shock this time however the business persons clearly were steadfast in their opposition to lockdown. They spelled out their intentions by staging impromptu protests in wholesale Itwari markets and also in Khamla area, anguished by what they felt a heavy handed response from the State Government.
 
Traders said lockdown is no answer to containing the surge of novel coronavirus in city and rural areas and wanted administration to explore other measures. Though eventually city administration managed to overcome the resistance and got its way around by ensuring total compliance to decision of lockdown in city and rural areas of district. The message was loud and clear from the ground - no more lockdown. All commercial establishments, excluding essential services, however remained closed giving the Government the much needed relief on crowd control but not before giving some goose bumps. With shops closed since morning even the traffic on roads seemed quite minimal. The aim of administration in controlling surge of crowd in market places worked successfully as people stayed within confines of their homes.
 
City police too deployed its posse at strategic points and carried out intensive checking to ensure that people do not unnecessarily roam in open. Traders notably were quite upset with State Government for imposing lockdown as summer time is a busy shopping season and already many of them had stocked-up in anticipation of uninterrupted operations. Already festivals that used to bring in consumers have been ruined due to pandemic and businesses were looking upto new start in new financial year. For State, however, there was more pressing emergency since citizens having taken the threat of second wave lightly, hospitals were surging with patients and beds were running short. Daily reports of 3,000 plus cases in single city like Nagpur plus the raging virus in rural landscape called for defensive mechanism. And the lockdown was the only option, though it hurts the economy, but with no way out of deadly pandemic, the markets reluctantly shut down.
 
Till Monday evening the traders were hoping against hope that in city they would wrest concession as in the month of March they already borne the brunt of mini lockdown in name of strict curbs. Therefore, when Guardian Minister Dr Nitin Raut on March 31 had announced that hence forth there would no local curbs, relief was writ large on trading community. Though the threat of lockdown was round the corner, the businessmen from city were confident they would be immune to it and hence the decision came as a shocker for them. However, since the lockdown announcement is done by State Government, local administration had little role to play and they had to sail along and notify the exemptions to ensure essential supplies do not dry up. Though this time State has granted full exemption to industry and manufacturing sector to ensure that atleast one end of economy keep churning out and there is no shortage in markets when they reopen. Even as mercury is soaring high the city roads wore a total deserted look as all markets wore a deserted look.
 
Even private transport was off roads and auto-rickshaw and buses plyed but with lesser numbers. Goods transport though allowed but the movement was a fraction of what it used to be in normal times. Meanwhile, the position on availability of beds continues to be on oxygen even as infection of novel coronavirus is spreading fast. Now that one loose end is tied, that is crowding in public places, the administration can now focus on health sector and ramp up facilities to ensure adequate beds, stock-up on oxygen and other items so that patients can remain assured of medical back-up if needed anytime.