Gandhi Market wore a deserted look on Monday despite the lifting of the lockdown.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
The three-day lockdown finally ended on Monday morning, but the hustle and bustle has not returned to the commercial capital, as the markets and city continued to wear a deserted look on Monday.
Some traders opened their establishments to a nearly-dry business on Monday.
Right from the KTC bus stand to the old market and the bustling city markets, the New Market and the Gandhi market, hardly any people turned up for shopping on Monday.
The mega new market wore a deserted look with only a couple of groceries and other shops open. The situation in the adjoining Gandhi market was no different. Vegetable vendors were all seated in the congested sheds, but found customers only coming in trickles. Same was the story at readymade garment shops in the Gandhi market also.
The congestion on the city road around the Margao Municipal garden went missing too with citizens prefering to stay indoors despite lifting of the 3-day lockdown.
MARGAO: The New Market in Margao will remain shut for the next eight days in view of the spike in Covid cases in the city.
President of the New Market Traders Association Vinod Shirodkar informed that the New Market will resume operations from next Monday. He said the Association has decided to go for a voluntary lockdown from Monday.
“Since the New Market is owned by Margao Municipality, the gates will remain open, but the traders will stay indoors. We will not enforce the decision strictly. It is for the individual traders to take a call, but majority of the traders have decided to stay indoors till Sunday”, he said.
Shirodkar the decision to go for voluntary lockdown was on fears of acute shortage of beds and oxygen for Covid patients. “Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has asked the people to take steps to protect their lives. One way to protect lives is to go for a voluntary lockdown and stay indoors," he said.
