On Saturday, the diamond traders reached their respective safe vaults following the norms like maintaining social distancing and use of the sanitizers. (Representational Photo)
Private safe vaults in Surat opened on Saturday for diamond merchants and others amid the lockdown.
The merchants, who run their offices in small cubicles in markets, used to keep the diamonds in the safe vaults and take it on next day to do their routine business, said Kiriti Shah, a diamond trader at Mahidharpura.
Due to the lock down, for the last two months, the diamond traders and merchants, who had kept diamonds and cash in lockers at the safe vaults were facing difficulties. The diamond traders and vault owners requested Surat Diamond Association to seek permission to use the safe vaults.
On May 21, the district collector had given permission to the safe vault owners to open their lockers from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm on Saturday, while maintaining social distancing norms. The safe vault owners intimated their members through calls and WhatsApp messages.
On Saturday, the diamond traders reached their respective safe vaults following the norms like maintaining social distancing and use of the sanitizers.
Safe vault firm owner Kanji Bhalara said, “It was long demand of the members but we were also helpless. It is a good sign for the diamond industry as those who had taken rough and polished diamonds will start doing business.”
Surat Diamond Association president Babubhai Katheriya said, “The rough and polished diamonds will slowly enter into the market. We have also found that some of the small and middle size diamond factories have started opening following the norms amid the Covid -19 pandemic.“
Surat city has around 40 diamond safe vaults run by private firms. They are located near the diamond trading offices in Surat city while some of the vaults are in the newly-developed areas in Surat.