Hyderabad: Traders want govt to go slow on plans of imposing fresh shutdown

Hyderabad: Traders who faced the brunt during the two lockdowns are afraid of losing business and want the government to go slow on plans of imposing a fresh shutdown, given the low risk involved with Covid cases now. They say as of now, there is no impact on their business. They are ready to support the government in following the Covid protocols at their establishments.

Adviser of the Hyderabad Kirana Merchants' Association Mahender Agarwal says that business was badly affected during the last two years because of the lockdowns. Now, slowly, it was coming on track. Covid had brought worries on the faces of traders. "If there is one more lockdown, business is at risk of collapsing. The government should think of the business aspect before taking any decision on lockdown," he states.

Traders says they have no objection to a partial lockdown, like night curfew and are ready to support the government in following the Covid protocols. Hyderabad General Merchants' Association president Sriram Vyas says they are ready to support the government in following the Covid norms, but lockdown should not be imposed now.

Since the Covid time, business has faced the brunt. As per estimates, the loss was up to 60 per cent during the last two and half years. During 2021 business settled for a while, but it is back to square one after the second wave. Now the third wave started; fears show an impact with a decrease in number of customers from districts," says Vyas.

Traders say that while all markets have stabilised, general market business is not. Stationery business has a positive response after two years with schools getting opened. But now they have also shut down, they point out.

They say "We did self-lockdown when cases were increasing, but we are not in a position to do that now as people involved in business will not spare us," says Vyas. However, he says traders were maintaining sanitisers, masks and encouraging customers. He pleads with the government not to impose another lockdown and advises it to go for night curfew.