Days after the residents of Rohini area were left terrified due to the blast in Central Reserves Public Force (CRPF) public school, businessmen and shopkeepers on Tuesday said that there Diwali won’t be the same this time even as the markets continue to remain affected due to lower turnout of customers in the area.

In the aftermath of the blast that shook the national Capital, eatery shops, especially those opposite to the spot remained shut including Wah ji Wah. Locals said that the police have asked the owners not to open them until they say so.

The businessmen have to bear the brunt of the incident with days left for the festival of Diwali. Rajiv, who works at a jewellery shop, said that the incident happened on the day of Karwachauth, when the sales are usually higher. “First of all it happened on a day when we usually see a higher turnout of customers and higher sales. We had to keep it shut after the incident because of the police. Now that we have opened our shops, as you can see there are no customers,” he said.

He added that the markets that are usually bustling with people are not stepping out as there is still fear in the masses after the incident. 50 year old Neetu, who is an owner of a bakery located near the spot, also shared the sentiments and said that they have incurred losses a lakh atleast.

“We are estimating a loss of a lakh but it can also be higher. But even if I leave that aside, this time when sales are expected to be high, only my relatives and close people have placed an order. There are no walk-ins since the nearby eatery shops have been closed and customers won’t come solely for my bakery,” she said, adding that she opened her shop two years ago.

Another shopkeeper also added that the markets, which were bustling till 12 am in the night, saw a handful of people. “We have been asked to close our shops early by the police authorities. Well, even if they didn’t order, we won’t even have any customers. A lot has changed since the blast but we hope that this doesn’t continue for a long time,” he added.

74 year old Vijay, who runs a shop of eyewear, said that he incurred a loss of Rs 1.5 lakh. “We are witnessing a downfall of 60 per cent of customers in comparison to the normal,” he said, adding that all of this happened when it is usually a peak season for sales.