BinNew Delhi: The entire nation has been in lockdown since March 25, with a billion plus population staying inside their homes to stave off the Coronavirus menace.
However, the situation remains chaotic and messy at vegetables and fruits mandis across the nation with truck suppliers & customers converging at the same place. In such situations, social distancing and maintaining personal hygiene goes for a toss.
However, this ‘Fight Corona model’ at Delhi’s Kondali market is turning out to be gamechanger move as it has facilitated co-existence of a bustling market while maintaining basic norms of social distancing.
Delhi Police has put in place a certain instructions/guidelines in consultation with the local leaders to ensure that lockdown norms are not flouted at all.
Pictures – Before Kondali model put in place
Regulating movement at wholesale, retail market – is the USP
Delhi Police made a comprehensive plan to regulate the wholesale and retail market in the Kondali area while ensuring the convenience of locals.
For the wholesale and ration market, the heavy vehicles have been allotted a specific time schedule in which they can unload vegetables & kirana items. The heavy vehicles can enter the market between 9 AM to 1 PM, during which they will unload and leave the market. Customers are prohibited from the markets during this time.
From 1 PM to 8 PM, the market will remain open for regular public however they can’t take their vehicles inside the market. Since this frees up a lot of space, social distancing norms can easily be followed.
To ensure that heavy vehicles and public follow the guidelines, the wholesale market has been barricaded with one Entry & Exit point only.
For retail markets or for the vegetable/fruit sellers inside the residential area… pass system has been introduced. Any vendor entering the residential area will be required to have ID/pass of his own and he will have to display it on his cart. This ensures the credibility of vendor and is also satisfactory for the customer as the latter gets to purchase the authentic items. This assumes significance in wake of recent reports which claimed that some mischievous people have taken to vegetable/fruit selling business and were operating with malicious intentions in the lockdown.
The Kondali market model, apparently the brainchild of Delhi Police ACP (Kalyan Puri) Jitender Patel is winning applause within the administration as well as by the locals.
Pictures – After Kondali model implemented
Kudos to Delhi Police for Kondali Market model
To stem the chaos at Azadpur Mandi, Delhi government had to step in and order staggered timing of vegetable & fruit selling. However, this was criticized for its shortcomings and poor planning.
On the other hand, Kondali market model seems to be well-planned and calibrated design to ensure minimized inconvenience to customers, vendors as well as suppliers. Indeed, this ‘Fight Corona model’ is turning out to be hit among the residents, truckers as well as outsiders.
