Nashik imposes entry fee for markets to contain coronavirus surge
Amid a surge in coronavirus cases in Nashik, the district authorities have imposed fresh restrictions on market areas to prevent them from getting overcrowded. Residents will now have to pay Rs. 5 each time they visit any market in the city. However, the move has not been appreciated by traders and some buyers. Here are more details on this.
'An attempt to save the city from lockdown'
"We're using a different approach to contain COVID-19 spread in Nashik. We are issuing a ticket of Rs. 5 per person to enter market area for an hour. It's an attempt to save the city from entering lockdown," Deepak Pandey, Nashik City Police Commissioner, said.
Each ticket will allow market access for one hour
Each Rs. 5 ticket will allow shoppers to access the market for one hour. Anyone breaching the one-hour deadline will be fined Rs. 500. These collections would be used by the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) for various measures to prevent coronavirus such as sanitization of the area. The markets would be sealed with one entry point. Meanwhile, vendors and shopkeepers would be issued passes.
Buyers, traders unhappy with the decision
However, some people and traders called the move "ridiculous." "People visiting markers often bargain for as little as Rs. 2. Here the police have decided to simply collect Rs. 5 from every customer. If they want they can control the crowd even without taking this money," Neeta Ajbe, a resident of the Nashik Road area, was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
Nashik reported 3,532 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday
The Nashik district on Tuesday saw a single-day jump of 3,532 new COVID-19 cases and 23 casualties. The tally in the district has now reached 1,78,214 while the death toll rose to 2,374, an official said. 1,12,557 cases have been reported from Nashik city, followed by 54,797 in other parts of the district, 8,563 in Malegaon, and 2,297 outside the district.
A brief about the COVID-19 situation in India
India has been witnessing a worrying surge in COVID-19 cases amid concerns over mutated strains of the virus and increasing laxity among people in adhering to coronavirus-related protocols. In fact, the country on Tuesday registered more than 53,000 fresh coronavirus infections, taking the nationwide tally to over 1.21 crore. India's death toll currently stands at over 1.62 lakh.
