CHENNAI: The spurt in COVID 19 cases has forced the government to impose a second phase of lockdown in Chennai from coming Friday.
However, it appears at least a section of people seem not to have taken the situation seriously and continue to throng in crowded places.
The newly set up fruit market at Madhavaram is one such place where thousands of people brush against one another every day.
After the storm of cases emerging from Koyambedu wholesale market, the fruit market was shifted to Madhavaram and vegetable market to Thirumalisai.
Yet a large number of people come to Madhavaram giving no chance for any social distancing.
Hundreds of police personnel are deployed at the Madhavaram market to oversee the crowd maintaining social distancing.
Vendors claim that the area given for them is not sufficient to maintain social distancing.
When the wholesale market was moved out of Koyambedu, around 250 shops were shifted to Thirumazhisai, and were spread out on a 25-acre plot.
In contrast, 250 wholesalers trading fruits have been accommodated in Madhavaram on a seven-acre land.
While the authorities have asked a section of vendors to move to the first floor of the building, the traders have refused to go fearing loss of business.
Police personnel on duty say that every day between 6am to 8am the crowd is more in number.
"Any kind of awareness slogans or yelling doesn't help. The personnel are also scared to physically touch a person to implement social distancing. Since the Koyambedu breakout, personnel are not deployed anywhere near the stalls. We are focusing on the perimeter and use drones to monitor public movements," said a police officer.
The scene is similar at Parrys corner where hundreds of wholesale shops are opened next to one another.
On Tuesday, hundreds of people flocked the streets for purchase. The shopkeepers claim that more than
the retail vendors it is the public who visit them every day.
Shops selling dry fruits and nuts are crowded by people lining up to stock the goods before the complete lockdown. Similar crowds were seen in fabric shops and utensils shops.