TIRUCHY: The corporation's move to cordon off several streets in the city for the next two weeks was strongly opposed by merchants and small scale business men who stated that their business would further be affected. They questioned the very purpose of the lockdown when many breach barricades and venture out. They demanded an alternative solution to this.
This month, three major commercial streets like Big Bazaar were completely put under lockdown for almost 14 days which cost the business especially of small retailers dearly. "If they lockdown a street, how will shopkeepers run their business or pay their staff? The district administration should consider such factors before taking any decision," said a shopkeeper from Big Bazaar, who was not able to open his shop for 14 days since his area was under containment zone.
Source in the corporation said that there were more than 50 per cent of cases reported in wards 16, 17 and 18 and hence it was closed. But now the situation is under control and we have opened the streets last week.
However residents sought an alternative solution to control the virus spread like door-to-door screening, mass sample testing, etc. "Rather than cordoning off the entire street, the civic body should carry out door-to-door screening to find out persons with symptoms. People breach barricades and the purpose of lockdown is lost. Only business are affected by this," said Imthiyas Ali, a merchant from Gandhi market.
Some of the merchants also suggested that mass sample testing should be conducted in an area and only after the results are announced it should be declared as a containment zone. This would allow shops to function, they pointed out.