A week into Unlock 1.0, only two malls in Noida reopen; others seek more time

Niharika Lal | TNN | Updated: Jun 16, 2020, 17:14 IST

Several malls in Noida are not ready to open yet (Picture for representational purposes only)

Even after a week since they were allowed to reopen, several malls in Noida are not ready to open yet. While some say that they are expecting to resume their operations this week, others say that it may take another week or so. For some malls, this is because the process of cleaning and sanitisation, which is then followed by an inspection by the Noida Authority, is still in progress, and for others, the sealing of the borders is making it difficult for retailers to return.

'Borders are sealed, retailers from outside Noida can't reach the malls'

Only two Noida malls - Logix City and Wave - are open as of now. However, the footfall is dismal as most of the stores are not even open yet.
A staff member of a mall, which has not reopened yet, says, "Our retailers come from across NCR. There are long queues at the DND as the Gautam Budh Nagar borders are sealed, and only those who have passes or are in essential services are allowed to cross the border. Hence, the retailers are finding it quite difficult to reach Noida."
Syed Shamim Anwar, Associate Director, Marketing, Garden Galleria and TGIP, Noida, says, "We have completed sanitisation, and after an inspection by the Noida Authority, we will be able to reopen this week."

With most malls in Noida closed, residents head to Delhi malls

DLF Malls, who had announced their opening date as June 12, are yet to reopen in Noida.
Anjana Parthasarthy, a resident of Sector 15, Noida, says, "We used to go to Sector 18 for shopping. I had to purchase some things for my house from the mall. So, we headed to the mall on the day it was supposed to open, but we were told that it was closed for the public."
Ravi James, who lives in Sector 44, says, "Only two malls are open, and the electronic stores were closed. We had to purchase some electronic items, so we had to go to Delhi."
But this movement of residents from Noida to Delhi just for shopping purposes has led traffic officials to enforce a stricter pass system at the border. A senior Traffic Police official says, "Last week after malls reopened in Delhi, people from Noida rushed to Delhi to visit malls. This was entirely unnecessary. Why do they need to visit malls in Delhi? Some of the malls in Noida are also open for the public. Hence, now we are getting stricter with checking passes at the borders, and only those carrying passes are allowed to enter or exit Noida."