Chennai city corporation has asked the bigger stores to shut shop in view of the massive footfall seen in the area everyday.
The usually bustling Ranganathan street in Chennai’s T Nagar was quiet on Wednesday, as every single shop on the road remained closed. From the massive ‘Legend’ Saravana Stores to the smaller stalls usually selling accessories, shop owners had shut down operations for the day, in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus.
The move was based on a notice from the Chennai city corporation on Tuesday evening, where the bigger stores were told to shut shop in view of the massive footfall seen in the area every day. The Chennai corporation has been telling people to avoid crowded areas where they could come in contact with other people. And while malls, theatres, government schools and colleges were already instructed to shut down on Monday, stores on Ranganathan street continued to function.
However, speaking to TNM after a meeting with multiple departments on Tuesday, Corporation Commissioner G Prakash, said, “We have instructed shops – the bigger establishments which have large footfall – to shut down. This is in the interest of public health. Some of these stores have 1,000 people working for them in addition to a huge number of people who visit. They don’t fall under the traditional definition of a mall, but the state government told us we can ask establishments to shut down based on the kind of threat it may pose to public health.”
While most of the public seemed aware of closure, a few who turned up to shop expressed shock at the closed shutters.
“We thought only the bigger shops will be closed and the stalls will be open, but even that has been covered and there are no sellers,” said Pooja, a resident of T Nagar.
The closure will lead to losses for the sellers; autorickshaw drivers who depended on these customers are also returning home empty handed.
“Usually I make at least Rs 1,000 a day by ferrying customers from the T Nagar area. But today I have barely touched even Rs 300,” says G Sundaramoorthy, a 45-year-old auto driver, “We are also scared about the virus, but we need to earn money for our households.”
Source: The News Minute