#UnlockDiaries: City residents frequent sweet shops, but with caution
Sandip.Bal@timesgroup.com
Unlock1.0 is 11 days old today and Odisha is slowly adjusting to the new normal. Most non-essentials shops are open now, though malls will remain closed till June 30. City residents, however, are happy about the fact that their favourite sweet shops are open again and are flocking to them after being forced to stay away for nearly three months.
Safety comes first
The shopkeepers on the other hand are putting safety first. Masks are mandatory when one visits their shops and they are keeping hand sanitisers available for customers. The opening of sweet shops is also going to help Odia people during the Raja Festival that’s round the corner. Though people prefer to bake cakes, pitha and sweets at home for the festival, the sweets from shops play an important role in the celebration, mostly in the cities, where residents don’t have time to prepare so many dishes.
But the footfall at the shops is to meet expectations. “Our shops have been open for last several days, but the number of customers is very low even now. Besides, our workers who had gone home are yet to return. This also affecting production,” said Sarat Mohanty, owner of a sweet shop in Nayapalli.
The shopkeepers are still worried about the sluggish pace of sales. “Unless the lockdown restrictions are removed completely, business won’t change much. But we hope things will pick up in the next two-three months after restrictions are fully lifted,” said Gajanana Sahu, a seller in Chandrashekharpur area.
Pahala is back in business
The famous rasagola is back, with sweet shops reopening in Pahala along NH16. While business is not as brisk as in pre-lockdown times, the shopkeepers as well as customers are happy about the development. And there too, safety protocols are being strictly followed in accordance with Odisha government guidelines. “We are following all the guidelines and are not allowing people to eat here. They can only take the sweets home. Our traders ensure all safety measures by wearing masks and using sanitisers frequently. We also ask the customers to sanitise their hands and maintain distance,” said Papu Lenka, president, Pahala Rasagola Entrepreneurs and Manufacturers Society.
Their business is slowly picking up but the restrictions affect them to some extent. “We used to prepare sweets late in the afternoon and our prime selling time was evening. But now, as curfew starts at 7 pm, we have to prepare sweets in the morning. Besides the Saturday and Sunday shutdown also affect our business. But we have to follow what the government says,” said Nityananda Behera, a seller.
We spotted many shops with ropes demarcating the area for customers. They told us that this was to ensure that customers maintained social distance.
Customers are happy
People missed sweets during the lockdown and are now happy that sweet shops are back. “We were missing sweets for more than two months. And it was not always possible for us to make them at home. Now that shops are open, that hassle is gone,” said Kahnu Charan Behera, a Nayapalli resident.
Megha Nayak, a city-based IT professional, said, “The Raja festival is coming and Odisha-specific sweets or mithas are important in this parba. I’m happy that I’ll again be able to indulge in these mouthwatering sweets.”
Chandan Swain, a resident of Cuttack, is happy that the Pahala sweet shops are open again. “We used to halt here while commuting between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Now, we are again enjoying our favourite sweet dish. Only these days, we are taking it home instead of enjoying it here,” he said.
Covid-19 fear still prevails
Though the restrictions are being removed, many are worried about the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the state and the country. “Seeing the large number of coronavirus cases, we feel unsafe to move out and go to shops where the social distancing norms go for a toss. During festivals, people hardly pay attention to these instructions. People should remember that even if it’s unlocking time, they should follow the safety guidelines,” said Samaresh Dhal, a stock trader.
Even some shopkeepers are apprehensive. “We ask our customers to wear masks and maintain social distance since non-adherence can lead to hefty fines. It’s people who should cooperate with us and each other to prevent spread of the virus and bring back normality,” said Ansuman Lenka, a shop-owner.
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