Telangana: Eid ul-Adha fair remains low due to third-wave fear

The Eid ul Adha festival, to be held across the state on Wednesday, is expected to be on a smaller scale considering the possibilities of the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent shutdown during the second wave.

Though the Covid-19 regulations were relaxed to some extent by the state government, no such uproar has been seen in the city. The usual cheer is lacking in the cattle and sheep markets throughout Hyderabad.

At various locations in Hyderabad, several temporary sheep markets have sprung up. In AC Guards, Chanchalguda, Chandrayangutta,Khilwat,Mehdipatnam, Falaknuma, and other areas of the city playgrounds. A sheep weighing around 15-16 kg is priced between 13,000 and 15,000 rupees.

"Last year, due to the first wave of Covid, people didn't buy like they usually do on Eid ul-Adha. Prices are still high in view of the huge demand for sheep," said Mukhtar Ali, a cattle trader at Mehdipatnam.

The city-based charity "Sahayata Trust" is distributing 20,000 Covid protection kits on the occasion of the Eid ul-Adha festival throughout the city. Kits include hand sanitizer, mask, plastic bags to dispose of animal waste, and a religious manual.The kits will be delivered to the door by the Trust's volunteers in different locations in Hyderabad.