NEW DELHI: Delhi’s bustling central markets, once alive with the energy of shoppers and traders, have fallen eerily quiet in the aftermath of Monday evening’s Red Fort blast. The explosion, which killed 13 people and injured several others, has cast a long shadow of fear over the city’s key wholesale hubs like Sadar Bazaar and Chandni Chowk areas that usually thrive during the festive and wedding season.
According to traders, business has dropped drastically as outstation buyers, wary of visiting in person, are turning to online platforms for their purchases. “This is typically our busiest period, with traders from across the country coming to buy wedding and winter items,” said Paramjeet Singh Pamma, president of the Sadar Bazaar Association. “But since the blast, footfall has reduced by nearly 50 per cent. Many are opting for online orders instead.”
To reassure traders and customers, local police have joined hands with the Sadar Bazaar Association to verify the credentials of workers employed in the market. The impact has been equally severe in Chandni Chowk, one of Delhi’s oldest and most crowded marketplaces. “The area has slowed down completely. Only a handful of customers are visiting,” said Sanjay Bhargava, president of the Chandni Chowk Traders’ Welfare Association.
He added both customers and traders remain deeply unsettled. “It will take at least a month for normalcy to return. Many shopkeepers, especially those near the blast site, are too frightened to reopen their shops.” However, not all markets have been affected.
“There was some quietness on Tuesday, but by Wednesday evening, business was back to normal,” said Kuldeep Singh, president of the Sarojini Nagar Market Association.