As lockdown eases in India, here’s what the first day looked like in a corner of Delhi

As he opened the shutters of his sweet shop in Govindpuri in South Delhi on Tuesday, Jaydev Bhatia had to confront a thick layer of dust that had settled on the refrigerated case used to display the delicacies.

“Just to clean this shop will take two days,” Bhatia said, explaining the tremendous financial losses he has faced over the last month. “Till mid-April, I had delivery orders at least. But once my workers left, I could do nothing.”

With lockdown restrictions easing in India’s capital on Monday, many shops across South Delhi opened for business, perhaps for the first time since March. While the traders were happy that rules have been eased, the economic hardship they were facing dominated conversations in the markets.

The primary problem they faced, said traders, was the lack of demand. “Every one is managing with just essential items,” said Ramdas Kumar, who sells utensils at the Govindpuri market. “I wonder if my business will pick up.”

While there was a semblance of normalcy in the market as shops reopened, further down the road, the Okhla Industrial Area continued to sport a deserted look. The Delhi government has allowed factories to restart production with 50% of the workforce. But factory owners say they are unable to find workers because of the large-scale exodus of migrant workers during the lockdown.

“Forget 50% capacity, even 25% workforce is difficult,” said Jaikumar Bansal, North Zone Chairman of the Apex Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Delhi.

This meant a double whammy for the workers who had stayed back. Even the easing of the lockdown has not translated into the resumption of work. “We are in a situation where we are hit either way, whether we try to go back home or stay back,” said Rajkumar, a worker from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh, who sat unemployed in the Okhla Industrial Area.

An odd-even formula for shops

According to the lockdown rules issued by the Delhi government on Monday, shops in markets have to follow an odd-even formula with staggered openings on alternate days.

While there was some confusion on how this formula would work, market associations in South Delhi seem to have arrived at a solution by Tuesday afternoon.

In Govindpuri and Chittaranjan Park, the local police held meetings with the market associations to chalk out a plan for opening the shops. “We have divided the shops according to what business they do,” a trader in Chittaranjan Park said. For example, if there are 20 grocery shops in a market, 10 would open on any given day. “Each category of business will see 50% of shops open every day,” the trader said.

For the first time since March, the bylanes in Govindpuri, a preferred shopping area for those buying goods at wholesale prices, were buzzing with activity, said traders. But not all were happy.

Sundeep Thakur, a flower vendor who was cleaning his cart at Govindpuri, said unless the temples open, he has no hope of making money. “If even gods are locked down, what can we humans do,” he said. The rules also prohibited opening of barber shops.

Industries shut

As per rules issued by the Delhi government on Monday, industrial establishments have been allowed to function with staggered hours. Companies with names starting from A to L are to work between 7.30 am and 5.30 pm whereas those with names between M and Z can function between 8.30 am and 6.30 pm.

But at the Okhla Industrial Area III, roads continued to be deserted.

A few workers sat in huddles in shaded corners. They said hundreds of factories were yet to start production, with the managers informing them that paucity of labour was the most important reason for the continuing shutdown.

“Factories are telling some of us who have stayed back that unless enough number of workers return, production will not be viable,” said Rajkumar, who worked as a porter in Okhla. “They also say they don’t have any orders to supply.”

At the moment, only administration staff are working in many of these factories, he said.

Jaikumar Bansal of the Apex Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Delhi said the situation is similar in other parts of the city. “Including micro industries, we have about 4.5 lakh units in Delhi. Hardly anything is functioning,” he said.

Bansal said unless interstate travel eases up, bringing workers back to Delhi and allowing them to move between the city and their village without hassle, the labour shortages won’t go away.

Even intercity transport was yet to pick up speed.

Sixty two-year old Ramnarayan Misra, originally from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, who owns a small goods-delivery tempo van, said he expects the situation to remain dire till the end of 2020. “I don’t have any hope of getting work at least for the next month,” he said.

While the Delhi government on Monday allowed autorickshaws and taxis to function with some restrictions, autorickshaw drivers said there was no business. “We have been here since morning swatting mosquitoes,” said Jignesh at an auto-stand at the Okhla Industrial Area III.

“On a normal day, this area would be buzzing with people. Look how deserted it is now. It is unbelievable.”