After remaining shut for whole day, life returns to markets in Jalandhar

Having remained shut for the whole day, life returned to normal in the city markets again this evening after the ceasefire announcement was made by the Centre between India and Pakistan.

Post heavy bombardment of missiles in the city by Pakistan till this morning, the district administration had ordered closure of all markets in Jalandhar Cantonment and Adampur town. Orders were also given to close all malls and big showrooms in the city. Shopkeepers readily agreed to the orders as the footfall of customers had come down drastically. Only grocery stores were witnessing rush, while there was a sharp decline in the number of shoppers in all other markets.

But as soon as the ceasefire announcement came around 5 pm, all markets started to reopen. Within two hours, Rainak Bazaar, Model Town, New Jawahar Nagar Market and Gol Market were abuzz with a normal, routine-like activity of buyers.

Fear had spread across the district on Saturday morning and markets wore a deserted look. All commercial activity came to a standstill. Other than closure of markets, there were other directions by the district administration that had declared a red alert and issued a set of precautionary advisories for the public. People were urged to avoid large gatherings, stay away from open spaces, refrain from entering tall buildings and remain indoors unless absolutely necessary and adhere to blackouts.

In commercial hubs like PPR Market, all shops and restaurants remained closed and the entire cantonment area resembled a ghost town. The city streets saw very little traffic movement, with many choosing to keep their businesses and homes tightly shut in fear of more aerial attacks.

“We are happy that normalcy has restored. Our businesses had seen a dip, but we are expecting things to fall in place from the start of the coming week itself,” said a trader from the city, who had closed his electronics shop for the first time in years without a scheduled holiday. “We are happy to know that customers are back in markets this evening,” he said.

Sharing her experience, Balminder Kaur, a resident of 66-ft Road, said, “I was worried till this afternoon as I was not getting a 10 kg bag of wheat flour. I tried multiple grocery apps and even nearby stores but nothing was available. But there is no reason to worry any longer for the kitchen needs.”