With the market inside Kasimedu Fishing Harbour getting around 2,000 visitors a day, the Fisheries Department has begun creating awareness of the importance of wearing masks and personal distancing among retail customers.
Along with the police, staff of the department have been going to the market by 5 a.m. every day to ensure compliance. They have been distributing masks to those who do not have them.
“We usually get crowds on Wednesdays and during the weekends. But since sale of fish is not permitted on the weekends due to the pandemic, weekdays are witnessing huge footfalls as well,” a Fisheries Department official said.
The department has been holding meetings with fish vendors, boat owners and labourers insisting that they follow the norms. The police have also been collecting fines. The fish market inside the fishing harbour had witnessed heavy crowds last year, which led to it being closed for sometime. “They have been telling us that the market will be closed if we do not follow the rules. We do not want that to happen,” a vendor said.
Another official said similar awareness campaigns were being held in other markets in the city by the Greater Chennai Corporation. “We have also instructed vendors and shop owners to ensure that people do not crowd the markets,” he said.