On the eve of the weekend curfew in the national Capital, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Friday allowed the shops, dealing with non-essential goods, in markets or complexes and malls to remain open between 10 am and 8 pm on an odd-even basis. Delhi’s daily Covid cases on Friday shot up by 15 per cent after 17,335 fresh cases were reported in 24 hours. Nine deaths were also reported.
“Shops in markets/complexes and malls dealing with non-essential goods shall be allowed to open on an odd-even basis between 10 am and 8 pm. Only one authorised weekly market (up to 50 per cent limit of allowed vendors at normal time) per day zone shall be allowed,” the DDMA order stated.
The DDMA also directed all district magistrates to number shops under their jurisdictions by Saturday to deal with violations of the odd-even formula for the opening of shops dealing in nonessential items.
“The DMs and officials have been asked to ensure that only one weekly market is allowed to open in a municipal zone following all Covid protocols,” an official said.
In its earlier order, the authority had directed that shops and establishments dealing in non-essential goods and services, malls and weekly markets would be allowed to open on alternate days as per odd-even system depending on their numbers.
“It has been observed that the aforesaid instructions are not being properly followed by the shops, malls and weekly markets and (it has been) found that shops are open without following the odd-even system,” said the order.
“Further, it is also observed that more than one weekly market per day per zone is functioning and no information of permitted weekly markets is available with DDMA and others for monitoring and enforcement,” said the DDMA order.
The authority also instructed the district magistrates to maintain documentary evidence in the form of photographs and videos of the exercise of numbering in each market.