HYDERABAD: In Charminar and in its vicinity, where there are many shops selling myriad commodities, shopkeepers cannot wait to open their establishments. However, there are hundreds of seized vehicles parked in front of the shops leaving any space in front of the shops to move around freely. In addition to that, the proposed odd-even system for opening shops is creating confusion among shopkeepers.
Right after Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced the lockdown relaxations, old city traders in and around Charminar started asking questions like-- “Can we open our shops? Is our area a containment zone?” The State government had directed the GHMC to implement the odd-even system. However the time frame given was too less to effectively get businesses running from Tuesday morning.
In Charminar, which is the ground zero for Ramzan shopping, almost all shops remained closed. One of the shopkeepers who managed to open his establishment by finding a way through the maze of motorcycles spent the day cleaning his shop. He said there was confusion regarding the odd-even system.
Another issue that has been noticed in many places is that many shops selling essential items are located right next to the odd or even numbered shops, nullifying the aim of maintaining social distancing.