BERHAMPUR: The growing scare over coronavirus has cast a shadow on the festival of colours with traders reporting a drastic drop in sale of gulal and other Holi-related products. Unlike previous years, the number of makeshift abhira stalls across the Silk City has come down sharply. The few that remained opened on Sunday were seen waiting for customers to arrive.
The always-crowded markets including Bada Bazar, the city’s wholesale hub, wore an unusual deserted look as people stayed away from buying Holi products due to the coronavirus fear. Sources said there is hardly any demand of colours in the market as wary customers are refusing to use abhira, which mostly comes from China. The excitement over the festival is also missing among children.
The traders, who had procured huge stocks of coloured powders much ahead of Holi hoping to make a brisk business, are now left with their unsold inventory. “The demand for colours and pichkaris has gone down considerably this year. People think that using China made products may lead to outbreak of the deadly disease,” said a trader.
Adding to the panic, the administration has also issued an advisory urging people to refrain from celebrating Holi with coloured powders. Besides, many social organisations have appealed to the citizens to celebrate the festival by lighting lamps instead of playing with colours in wake of the coronavirus scare.
Earlier, abhira was prepared locally. However, with passage of time, the city imported the colour powder from Chhattisgarh and later, the China made products took over the market.
Isolation ward in MCH
Jeypore: In wake of Coronavirus (COVID-19) scare, the district health administration has opened isolation wards in Jeypore District Headquarters Hospital and Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital. A district-level meeting of health officials was chaired by Collector Madhusudan Mishra on Sunday where it was decided that ASHA workers, ANMs working in 14 blocks and four ULBs will be roped in to sensitise people about Coronavirus. Health advisory will be issued to all schools and colleges. The Collector asked NGOs and SHGs to create public awareness on preventive measures for COVID-19.