Shrines, mosques record low footfall on day 1 of reopening

M Aamir Khan

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Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 16

Five months after the lockdown was imposed, shrines and mosques have thrown open their doors to public from today. The city markets will reopen tomorrow on a rotational basis. The authorities have given a go ahead to the Transport Department to resume their operations from Monday, but stipulated that the buses should ply with a 50 per cent capacity.

Very few devotees visited the shrines and mosques today, and the devotees were seen following the Covid-19-related standard operating procedures (SOPs). While most of the important mosques and shrines have opened, but Jamia Masjid located in the old city will reopen on Tuesday as per the Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid.

District Development Commissioner Shahid Iqbal Chowdary said he was glad to see that the SOPs were followed at shrines, and hoped that traders and transport operators would follow the suit. The response of the community was key in fighting the pandemic, he added.

As per the government order, markets will reopen on a rotational basis. The public transport operators have been directed to ply minibuses at 50 per cent capacity, 10-seater maxi cabs with up to a maximum of four passengers and auto-rickshaws with two passengers.

Lockdown was reimposed in the city on July 13 after a spike in Covid-19 cases was witnessed. Earlier, when the lockdown was lifted on June 13, after 85 days of lockdown, markets had been opened on a rotational basis. Ahead of Eid also, markets were reopened for three days, that is, from July 29 to 30.

The traders, however, have expressed disappointment over the decision to open markets on a rotational basis.

“We have requested the government to allow reopening of all shops in the markets, as we have suffered mounting losses in the past one year. We hope the government allows all markets to operate on all days of the week. We should focus on implementing the Covid-19-related SOPs which include maintaining physical distance and wearing of masks, among others,” Kashmir Trade Alliance president Aijaz Shahdhar toldThe Tribune.