Shoppers choke Chennai lanes as lockdown norms relaxed – Times of India

CHENNAI: There was no regulatory mechanism to monitor crowds in place and no officials were present.
Shoppers didn’t follow social distancing norms. They weren’t asked to.
On Monday, when the lockdown was relaxed after 40 days and shops were allowed to open from 11am to 5pm, chaos erupted.
From Kothawal Chavadi in the north to Adyar and Thiruvanmiyur in the south, all shops were filled. At Kothawal Chavadi in the George Town area, one of the oldest markets in the city, more than 1,000 grocery shops on Govindappan Naicken Street, Anna Pillai Street, Aacharappan Street and Varadha Muthaiyan Streets were crammed with shoppers. The movement of two-wheelers compounded the problem.
G Ganesan, who couldn’t open his stationery store as the authorities had permitted only grocery shops to function, said the first day’s experience clearly showed that the shops should not be allowed to be open from 11am to 5pm. “The government should allow them to open from 10am to 1pm. Only such an arrangement will work. Otherwise, the officials will experience the same problem that they faced in Koyambedu,” he said.
About 20 days ago, fearing this kind of a problem, Greater Chennai Corporation authorities shifted 300 vegetable and fruit vendors from Kothawal Chavadi to Broadway bus terminus to decongest the place. On Monday, other shops opened leading to congestion in the area. “There was no space to even stand,” said a shopper.
Regulating shoppers or asking them to follow distancing norms in such areas, where shops are small and streets narrow, will be next to impossible, said a corporation official.
In Adyar and Thiruvanmiyur, large numbers of people were seen at hardware shops and those selling electronic items, all standing very close to each other.
In a few places like Ekattuthangal near Guindy, Jafferkhanpet, Neelankarai, and Saidapet, however, police insisted that shop keepers ensure social distancing and closed down others that failed to follow the prescribed rules. These included hardware stores and saloons among others.

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