Noting that many shops continued to remain open on consecutive days despite its order against it, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) said it would crack the whip on errant shop owners from Friday. To contain the spread of COVID-19, Municipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi on late Wednesday night ordered shops to be shut on alternative days. BMC on Thursday released names of roads in each of the 24 wards where shops, roadside vendors and commercial activities will be shut on alternate days. Anyone who fails to comply with the order, will be liable for penal action. The BMC has also put up banners at major junctions and is contacting merchant and shopkeepers associations and informing about the rule. “We are not penalising shopkeepers as yet because the list of the alternate day closure of shops was released today (Thursday). We are sending out WhatsApp messages to associations. BMC is also putting out banners with the list of roads at arterial roads in some areas,” said Prithviraj Chavan, assistant municipal commissioner, M-West ward. Pardeshi said assistant municipal commissioners of all wards will identify roads in their wards where shops and commercial activities can be shut on alternative days. However, this will not be applicable to medicine and grocery stores. Civic markets like Crawford market are also included. Shree Dadar Imitation & Cutlery Welfare Association at Kirtikar Market comprising of 80 shops on D’Silva Road in Dadar also joined the complete shutdown till Tuesday. On Thursday, shops inside CSMT and Churchgate subway, Dadar West, Fashion Street - which has a cluster of over 385 street side clothing shops - on MG Road near Azad Maidan were closed. The civic body has also put up notices, saying illegal hawkers will face action if they continue their business. Besides, the civic body has also issued instructions to “khau gallis” (designated areas for street food) to shut down. Shops selling leather goods in Dharavi has been shut. “In the morning, some police officials came and asked us to shut our shop, citing government’s direction of alternate days. If this step is in larger public interest, we have no option but to follow the government’s order,” said a shop owner in Dharavi. Majority of shops in Borivali and Kandivali, especially eateries and salons, remained open to visitors on Thursday evening. Bhagyashri Kapse, assistant commissioner of R/Central ward covering Borivali, said a total of 17 roads mentioned in the order have been designated as high footfall areas. “Arrangements have been made to provide alternatives to the public. While we are requesting shop owners and spreading awareness about the order, we will enforce the decision strictly by Friday,” she said, adding that 162 people were registered in the ward, having an international travel history in the past 14 days. In Andheri, most shopkeepers were not aware of the restrictions till Thursday evening. “But, we have been preparing for the possibility of a lockdown since the state government has been directing shutdowns in a phased manner, from schools, colleges, to malls since the past week. We have kept sanitisers in our shop and will be following other rules as well,” said Bhole Kadam, who owns a grocery store in Andheri. “Customers have been stocking up essential items like dal, rice, atta for the last three-four days. We have stopped home delivery to reduce the risk of catching the virus,” Kadam added. “Business has anyway seen a slump due to apprehensions among people. Throughout the weekend, too, there were only a few walk-ins. It is better to keep the shop shut till the situation gets better,” said Jayant Raorane, a footwear shop owner. Meanwhile, the Dadar Traders Association (Dadar Vyapari Sangh), with 900 shops as its member, declared they will remain close till Tuesday (Gudi Padva).
