Srinagar: The weekly flea market in Srinagar, commonly known as the Sunday market, was not allowed to operate on Sunday by police due to the threat of coronavirus.
The market, which attracts thousands of customers from different parts of the valley, stayed closed throughout the day. Hundreds of vendors who had arrived for the day’s business could not set up their stalls.
The vendors were asked by police not to put up stalls today as the government had ordered to close the market in wake of the growing threat of coronavirus infection.
“We were not aware that the government had decided to close the market today. We reached here early in the morning as usual but police did not allow us,” said a group of vendors.
“We do our business only on Sunday but this, too, has been closed. On the one hand the authorities are issuing notices that there is no need to panic, and on the other hand they are closing markets and schools. This has left people much worried,” the vendors further said.
They said that thousands of people thronged the Sunday market for shopping clothes and other items, and that the livelihood of more than 2,000 street vendors was dependent on the market.
Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Matoo ordered the closure of the weekly flea market saying that the decision has been taken as a precautionary measure in view of coronavirus
“I have ordered the closure of the Sunday market in Srinagar as a precautionary measure in view of COVID 19. I have spoken to the Commissioner, SMC, and the SSP Srinagar for coordinated efforts to ensure all large gatherings in Srinagar are prevented and discouraged,” the SMC Mayor tweeted.
Earlier, the administration had ordered closure of all private and government primary schools in six districts of Jammu and Kashmir after two suspected coronavirus patients undergoing treatment in Jammu were declared “high viral load” cases.

NAZIMA SIDIQ