Delhi's Sadar Bazar witnesses huge crowd on Diwali, shoppers flout COVID-19 protocols

Diwali shopping is in full swing in Delhi's Sadar Bazar, but COVID guidelines are rarely followed. Following the bleak festive season of last year due to the COVID outbreak, the markets in the national capital have seen massive throng this Diwali. Sadar Bazar is a famous bazaar in Delhi known for its wide range of goods accessible at low prices. People are coming to Sadar Bazar in preparation for the festival of light to bring home the goods. Sonika, a resident of Karol Bagh, told news agency ANI on Wednesday that she was taking all feasible precautions in the crowded Sadar Bazar. "I am taking precautions. But, it is difficult to maintain social distance in such a crowd," she noted. 

Vivek, who reached Sadar Bazar for Diwali shopping, admitted that people seemed careless in following the COVID norms. "We are trying as much as we can do here like wearing the mask properly, using sanitiser. But the carelessness about COVID can be clearly seen in the people. People have forgotten the bygone days," Vivek stated, as per ANI.

The idols of Lakshmi and Ganesh abound at Sadar Bazar. There is also a lot of home décor available on the market. However, the impact of inflation can be seen in the market, with idols costing twice as much as in previous years. Sangeeta, who came from Janakpuri for shopping said, "Due to the inflation, we have cut down the budget for Diwali shopping. We are buying goods very judiciously." 

Meanwhile, in the previous 24 hours, Delhi has reported 41 new COVID-19 cases. For the eleventh day in a row, no deaths were reported owing to the sickness. According to the Delhi Health Department's daily bulletin, the overall number of COVID cases in the city has increased to 14,39,963, with 320 active cases.

COVID protocol hits new low amid Diwali shopping: Survey

According to a survey conducted ahead of Diwali, only 2% of Indians believe that disguising compliance around them is effective, and only 3% believe that individuals in their neighbourhoods and districts obey social distance rules. Over 39,000 responses were received from over 20,000 citizens in 366 districts of India in a poll undertaken by LocalCircles, a digital community-based platform, on how people are following masking and social distancing guidelines throughout the festival season. While 65 per cent of respondents were men, 35 per cent were women.

(with inputs from ANI)

Image: ANI