KOLKATA: The administration has expressed concern after three persons in Malapara, on the periphery of the congested Posta wholesale hub, were taken away by healthcare workers on Saturday evening after they showed symptoms of Covid-19. The government is already struggling to find an alternative spot for either the market or for the unloading of trucks to contain the transmission risk in a pocket where hundreds of labourers, drivers and helpers work daily.
The number of cases in the Burrabazar and Posta areas has not declined despite strict enforcement of lockdown measures. Cops have approached senior traders in the market seeking suggestions to keep the place safe from the virus without disturbing the supply chain of essential commodities ,like flour, rice, onions, potatoes, oil and pulses.
“It is a worrisome development. Malapara is like an entry point to Posta if one is coming from the direction of Ganesh Talkies. Even today, trucks carrying essential commodities are parked on Kali Krishna Tagore Street. Thousands visit Posta daily for purchases and can become carriers if the virus spreads. Hundreds of labourers, drivers and helpers, too, work in close proximity here in the market,” said an officer from Posta police station.
Posta and other markets in Burrabazar are important for the supply of edibles to retail markets in the city and the suburbs. But this also means that people from different parts of the city assemble here every day. This poses a risk of the virus spreading to even parts of the city where no case has been detected yet. “It also means a risk of the virus infecting more people within this pocket,” said a source in the local administration.
However, Biswanath Aggarwal, general secretary of the Posta Bazar Merchants’ Welfare Association, said, “We have not been officially approached by anybody from the government to either relocate the market or ferry goods in smaller vehicles.”
Earlier, the police had to shut down Raja Katra, a wholesale market for pulses and oil, when two labourers were found Covid-positive. They also sealed several pockets of Posta, Sikdar Para Lane, Hanspukur Lane, Shiv Thakur Lane and Kalakar Street for the next week to break the transmission chain.
“The number of cases has refused to come down in the area because of defiance by a section of residents. For the time being, we are thinking of conducting stricter checking of drivers and helpers before they enter the city,” said an officer.
The number of cases in the Burrabazar and Posta areas has not declined despite strict enforcement of lockdown measures. Cops have approached senior traders in the market seeking suggestions to keep the place safe from the virus without disturbing the supply chain of essential commodities ,like flour, rice, onions, potatoes, oil and pulses.
“It is a worrisome development. Malapara is like an entry point to Posta if one is coming from the direction of Ganesh Talkies. Even today, trucks carrying essential commodities are parked on Kali Krishna Tagore Street. Thousands visit Posta daily for purchases and can become carriers if the virus spreads. Hundreds of labourers, drivers and helpers, too, work in close proximity here in the market,” said an officer from Posta police station.
Posta and other markets in Burrabazar are important for the supply of edibles to retail markets in the city and the suburbs. But this also means that people from different parts of the city assemble here every day. This poses a risk of the virus spreading to even parts of the city where no case has been detected yet. “It also means a risk of the virus infecting more people within this pocket,” said a source in the local administration.
However, Biswanath Aggarwal, general secretary of the Posta Bazar Merchants’ Welfare Association, said, “We have not been officially approached by anybody from the government to either relocate the market or ferry goods in smaller vehicles.”
Earlier, the police had to shut down Raja Katra, a wholesale market for pulses and oil, when two labourers were found Covid-positive. They also sealed several pockets of Posta, Sikdar Para Lane, Hanspukur Lane, Shiv Thakur Lane and Kalakar Street for the next week to break the transmission chain.
“The number of cases has refused to come down in the area because of defiance by a section of residents. For the time being, we are thinking of conducting stricter checking of drivers and helpers before they enter the city,” said an officer.
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