Vijayawada: City gears up for total shut down today

• The management of D Mart has arranged infrared thermometers to screen the customers before allowing them into the mall

•  Mall management says there is no need to panic that stocks will be exhausted at the supermarket and it will get adequate quantities of stocks from head office in Hyderabad

• Speculation is doing rounds that the lockdown will be continued till March 31 as many coronavirus cases are detected across the country 

Vijayawada: In response to the call given by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to observe one-day voluntary bandh to check the spread of coronavirus in the country, people in the city are geared up for one-day total shut down 'Janata Curfew' on Sunday. With the State government also extending its full support for one-day 'Janata Curfew,' the district collectors are appealing to people to co-operate with the governments in the fight against coronavirus.

On Saturday, a day ahead of 'Janata Curfew,' thousands of people in the city rushed to the supermarkets to purchase provisions, vegetables and other household commodities.

It is assumed that there will be huge response to the call given by the PM and shut down will be observed voluntarily in the city, state and country on Sunday.

Consequently, consumers are purchasing groceries with a view to maintain stock for two to three weeks. There is speculation that the lockdown will be continued till March 31 as many coronavirus cases are detected across the country. In Andhra Pradesh, three cases are reported so far. In view of social distancing, cinema halls already closed till March 31 in the city.

At D Mart shopping mall located on Samba Muthy Road, several hundred people stood in the queue line by 11 am on Saturday to purchase groceries. The D Mart management has arranged infrared thermometer to screen the customers before allowing them into the mall. The interesting thing is the customers are not observing social distance despite media platforms creating awareness about it. If any one of the corona infected person stands in the queue line, there is possibility of big disaster. Luckily, not even one person with abnormal temperature and symptoms of coronavirus was detected in the queue line till afternoon. P Gautam, Manager of D Mart, said the supermarket will get adequate quantities of stocks from head office in Hyderabad and local distributors will supply sufficient quantity of products if orders are placed.

He said there is no need to panic that stock will be exhausted at the supermarket. K Ajay a customer, said that he had purchased the same quantity of groceries as he buys every month. He said the impact of corona lockdown may be hardly 10 to 15 days.

At other shopping malls like Reliance and Metro, several hundred consumers rushed to buy groceries and other household products on Saturday. But the rush was limited at these two malls. The supermarkets are maintaining adequate stocks of dals, edible oil, soaps, detergents, food products, biscuits and other materials. Due to gradual decrease of purchasing power in the recent months, most middle-class and below poverty line people may not afford to spend thousands of rupees to buy groceries in bulk quantities. Only rich and upper middle-class can afford to spend huge amount of money to buy in large quantities. People need not panic on exhausting of stocks in supermarkets. The city and suburbs have several hundred grocery shops where people can buy provisions comfortably.