Tarn Taran: People shun social distancing at sabzi mandi

Tarn Taran, April 10

People don’t seem to be taking seriously the advice to maintain social distance as hundreds of vegetable growers, commission agents and consumers gathered at the sabzi mandi here on Friday.

Around 1,000 persons visit the mandi on a daily basis. According to sources, around 500 vegetable growers from more than 25 villages of the area come here to sell vegetables to around 30 commission agents, who further sell these to nearly 500 retailers.

Though some police personnel were deployed at the place, they appeared helpless in convincing the people to maintain social distance. One a few persons at the mandi were seen sporting masks.

MK Sharma, a commission agent, said the policemen have been urging the people to maintain social distance, but the advice was not being taken seriously.

SDM Rajnish Arora said the issue was already in his notice and he has issued “last warning” to the commission agents and other traders. He said if they continue violating the norms, the administration would divide the mandi into four parts to manage the huge crowd at the place and enforce norms to prevent the spread of Covid-19. — OC