KOCHI: Aluva market which was closed down for more than 42 days due to the spread of Covid-19 was reopened on Wednesday morning. The authorities had directed shop owners and customers to wear face masks, use sanitizers and maintain a register to record the details of customers. However, even though traders were granted permission by the authorities to open their business, most of them are still feeling hard done by the lockdown and remain pessimistic about the future.
“We can hardly afford to lose money now as we have incurred severe financial losses because of the lockdown. There won’t be a massive increase in sales as customers nowadays don’t have much money to spend on buying vegetables,” said Stanley Dominique, a 58-year-old wholesale vegetable dealer at the market. According to him, the vegetable market has around 60 stalls, including both retail and wholesale outlets.
The situation is the same for fish sellers at the market who fear that their businesses will prosper only after the Covid scare comes to end. “People are buying less fish during the period which has contributed to low sales. Many have migrated to coastal areas in the hope of reviving business,” said Subin D, a wholesale dealer.