TIRUCHI
With most parts of Big Bazaar Street and adjacent areas being declared containment zones, business and trade activities on the important streets came to a grinding halt on Saturday.
Right from Gandhi market to Theradi Veedhi on Big Bazaar Street, Jaffersha Street and Big Kammala Street to Kallatheru and NSB road to Chinnakadai Street, many business-cum -residential localities were declared as a containment zone.
The Tiruchi Corporation with the cooperation of the City Police put up iron sheets at various entry points, restricting public access to the restricted areas. Except essential stores such as pharmacies, grocery and vegetable, most of textile, jewellery, plastics, utensil and other retail and wholesale business establishments were closed.
Though the sudden move of the Corporation appeared to irk the local residents, who find it hard to source essential commodities, the traders appeared to have reconciled to the situation after noticing the sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in their localities.
Corporation Commissioner S. Sivasubramanian told The Hindu that the trader’s bodies and associations and important business establishments were apprised of the “prevailing situation” before blocking the roads for public access. Moreover, the decision was announced through “thandora” at important junctions.
Justifying the action, he said that more than 50% of the cases being reported in Tiruchi city were from the Big Bazaar zone. It was observed that cases were spreading a lot. The containment measure was to bring down the cases.
Mr. Sivasubramanian said that though the measure was originally planned for two weeks, he would monitor the situation daily. If there was noticeable improvement, the days would be curtailed and the streets would be opened for business. During the containment period, all households would be served kabasura kudineer concoction daily besides door to door verification of fever cases.