Aurangabad, Nov 4:
People have started thronging the local markets in city with the onset of the festival season amid the Covid-19 outbreak. The bustling market had been bereaved of customers over the last few months amid the lockdown, but with Diwali only nine days from now, citizens are prepping up for the shopping.
Many traders are hopeful that business will improve in the coming week. City''s Tilak Path, Connaught place, City Chowk, Aurangpura and Gulmandi are known as one of the busiest shopping lanes, and since the outbreak in the city, people have been cautious of stepping outside their homes. However, after seven months during the current festive period, customers were seen stepping out for shopping. Citizens are taking all the preventive measures and are wearing masks, carrying sanitizers wherever they are travelling. The traders at Tilak Path, amid the gloom were pleasantly occupied with the flock of customers as they didn''t expect the flow of business during Diwali. The crowd is moderately less this year due to the pandemic. Usually, you don''t have a place to stand in this area, but this time around, people are scared, said the traders. There is a visible buzz in the markets now, though traders worry about the low sale on the weekend. Ajay Shah state vice-president, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said, "We have already given strict orders to all shopkeepers that no customer should be allowed to enter if he or she is without a mask. Sanitizer stands are installed at almost all places as well as temperature checks are regularly conducted at every shop. We hope that business will be back on track this week. We request customers to cooperate with all shopkeepers and avoid over-crowding," he informed.