Unlocking Diaries: Less crowd, more rules as markets in Kanpur gear up for post-lockdown era

With markets reopening as part of unlock 1.0, buzz is gradually returning to the market places, but with a new set of rules. Sanitizers at the entrance, to limited entry of customers in the shops, is the new normal, which is being followed in most of the shopping areas in Kanpur.
“We are following all the guidelines laid down by the governmen,” says a shop owner in Kanpur.
Maintaining a proper distance
A shopkeeper in Naveen Market has demarcated places where the customers should ideally stand. “Since I am diabetic and have hypertension too, I am going all out to safeguard myself. Apart from sanitising my shop, myself and the customers, I am also spraying it on the curency that I am taking. I am leaving no stone unturned to be safe,” says he.

‘Not letting people touch or try things like before’
Most shops aren’t allowing customers to touch or try items. Manish Arya, owner of a garment shop says, “Firstly, people who are actual buyers are only stepping out to shop during this time. So, footfall has fallen miserably. And those are coming also, we aren’t letting them touch anything. We ask them to see the items from a distance. It is only after they select a piece that we give them a new piece from our stock.”
Ashish, a manager at a watch shop in the market, shares, “Apart from regular sanitisation of the customers’ hands and checking if they are wearing masks, we have put a huge poster of the dos and don’ts at the shop. Plus, we are not letting people touch anything. We are also keeping a close watch on our sales people to check if they are following the rules and regulations.”
Shopkeepers take safety precautions
Pankaj Ahuja, owner of a shop in Civil Liones area says, “I have installed small foot sanitizer machines in my shop for the customer and even for my staff. I have deployed one person on my shop to just keep a check on the staff and the customers to see if they are following proper social distancing and sanitisation norms. Also, I am only allowing a limited number of customers at a time in my shop.”

Preferring digital payment
Nishan Chowdhary, owner of an artificial jewellery shop is only letting one customer enter his shop at a time. “Space is a major issue in a small shop that I have. And since I am alone handelling everything, I make sure that only one customer enters the shop and I sanitise their hands properly and check their temperature. Plus, I have also started preferring digital mode of payment for purchases,” he says.
Precautions that shopkeepers are taking:
- Sanitising customers’ hands, temperature checks, providing customers with masks
- Not allowing customers to touch items – and if they do, the products are sanitised
- Providing customers with fresh pieces from the stock after they've selected items and bargained the price
- Some shops not allowing customers to enter, while some are allowing only three-four people at a time