Shops in Chennai’s Saidapet to shut by 3pm from today – Times of India

Chennai News

CHENNAI: With residents crowding city markets, a section of traders in Saidapet has come forward to shut their shops three hours before the time prescribed by the government from Monday.
The Mettupalayam Traders’ Association with shops in Mettupalayam and Jones Road neighbourhoods, which fall under the Kumaran Nagar police limits, has over 500 shops as members.
After a series of meetings with police and civic authorities, traders arrived at a consensus to shut shops by 3pm.
After the fortnight’s total lockdown, when the city reopened, the government announced that markets and individual shopkeepers can run business from 6am to 6pm.
Saidapet falls under the Kodambakkam range which has been recording high percentage of active cases even after the lifting of total lockdown.
Of the 14,997 active cases in the city as on Sunday, the maximum were in Kodambakkam (2,082), followed by Anna Nagar (1,561) and Teynampet (1,345), according to Chennai corporation data.
“In Kodambakkam zone, Saidapet range seems to record high cases and we suggested the shopkeepers to consider our request to shut shop early than the allowed time as our findings pointed that there was more crowd gathering in the market areas,” said Kalai Arasan, inspector, Kumaran Nagar.
Police had suggested that the shops shut by 2pm while the traders wanted to extend at least until 4pm. After discussions with senior officials, the traders agreed to down shutters by 3pm.
The arrangement will be in place until July 31, authorities said. “The traders are co-operative and have agreed to the suggestion considering the larger good,” said Arasan.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/shops-in-saidapet-to-shut-by-3pm/articleshow/77056647.cms