On Saturday, a state government order said that the export market in Sarojini Nagar of Delhi had been shut until the further orders for grossly violating the COVID-19 norms.
The state orders also stated that however the daily number of COVID-19 cases in the capital had gone down significantly but caution was needed to be maintained.
Ankur Prakash Meshram, the Sub-Divisional magistrate, read out the order issued by the state and mentioned that as an inspection had been done on July 17, at 05:30 p.m in Sarojini Nagar Market, it was found that the Export Market Sarojini Nagar was extremely crowded and that the COVID-19 norms were being violated as no social distancing was being followed either.
The authorities showed dissatisfaction over the Market Associations inability for the enforcement of the COVID-19 protocol despite the issuance of various directives by the state government.
The state order also mentioned that various directions were issued time to time for ensuring the covid appropriate behaviour in Sarojini Nagar Market, and the Market Association did not comply to any of these directions.
In Sarojini Nagar, the export market comprised of over 200 shops and was located at the heart of the SN market.
The market associations of Sarojini Nagar would meet today on the issue of unfair decision. Nitin Bhatia, Secretary, Sarojini Nagar Market, said that they did not understand on what basis the sub divisional magistrate issued the order against them and that they would protest against the order.
Vikas Kashyap, export trader in market, said that they strictly followed social distancing and questioned to why should the shopkeepers suffer and why the order was only for the export market, he asked that how would they pay their workers.
Govind Yadav, employee in a shop, said that if they would sit at their house with no work then they would not be able to pay rent and as there’s no money then they would go back to their villages.
In the month of July, the authorities ordered for the closure of Delhi’s Gaffar Market, Naiwala, and the DDA market for 2 days for the violation of the COVID-19 norms.
On Saturday, the record of COVID-19 cases were 59 and deaths due to COVID-19 were 4, however according to the data shared by the health department, the positivity rates dropped to 0.08 per cent.
The death count in Delhi have been pushed to 25,027 with the new 4 fatalities by COVID-19.
