The coronavirus, on which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has just declared an all-out war, has taken the sheen off the bustling shopping centres in Vijayawada as people have been staying off roads due to the fear the virus.
Ever since the alarm bells started ringing in the country, there has not been much rush in the markets. And, no sooner than the Andhra Pradesh (A.P.) government directed that social distancing measures be taken and malls, cinema theatres and other places of public gathering be shut down, people started feeling the heat. The unintended consequence of it is small businesses taking a hit because people have been confining themselves to the safety of their homes.
The mood is palpable as not only the people but also traders and hawkers restricted their movements. This is in the context of the State government (the Municipal Administration Department) making the closure of all malls and markets compulsory till the month-end as part of the COVID containment measures. This essential clampdown affected every section and the small business community is the worst-hit with their sales already seeing a dip and the near future looking bleak.
Traders desperate
K. Ranga Rao, a children’s garment trader on the Besant Road, is distraught as the footfalls have come down drastically even as the summer vacation is around. He observed that the few people seen on roads are wary of the lurking danger and even his fellow businessmen are fearing an outbreak of the coronavirus. "If this situation continues, I have to reduce the prices
to attract a handful of customers lest my inventory should remain worthless," he told this correspondent.
The plight of the motley group of flower vendors at the PWD Grounds on M.G. Road is far worse as there are not many takers for the flowers during the day and as the darkness sets in, the flowers start perishing. Fruit sellers and juice-makers are also facing the impact of the thinning crowds.
Normally, the demand for fruits and juices shoots up this time of the year but COVID-19 has brought an unexpected misery. They are forced to play the waiting game and there is not much of hope for the coming days.
"We do good business every year in the run up to summer but that is not the case now. I think it is due to the COVID threat. Our business is hit but what can we do?" averred Rajesh, a small fruit merchant near Pandit Nehru Bus Station while expecting a quick end to the crisis.
Pin hopes on govt.
One can see the Besant Road, Kaleswararao market, Eluru Road, Lenin Centre and other shopping areas pulling small crowds compared to the days before COVID spread to A.P. While cursing their fate, the traders are anticipating that the government comes to their rescue in one way or the other to enable them to recover from the shock.
Meanwhile, there is almost a frenzy for surgical masks as people believe that they will be 100% safe by wearing them whether or not they go through the grind of following the slew of health advisories issued by the government.
