Shoppers throng bazaar areas for Deepavali shopping in Erode, Salem
The Hindu
Deepavali shopping frenzy causes traffic chaos in city's bazaar districts, with police enforcing crowd control measures for safety.
Thousands of shoppers packed into the city’s bazaar districts on Wednesday, buying clothes, sweets, crackers, and household appliances for Deepavali, leading to widespread traffic disruptions.
Many textile and jewellery showrooms, as well as stores selling home appliances and mobile phones and other commercial establishments, opened earlier than the usual 10 a.m. start to accommodate the demand. With the weather being favourable, the crowds thronging these stores were immense. Temporary stalls and street vendors were also set up along pavements, further congesting movement in key shopping areas.
High footfall was reported on R.K.V. Road, Manikoondu, Panneerselvam Park, Sakthi Road, and several other prominent shopping streets. “The crowd was uncontrollable from the afternoon,” a traffic policeman at Manikoondu noted. To enable easy pedestrian access, police restricted entry of two-wheelers on narrow streets and set up temporary watchtowers for monitoring and crowd safety.
In Salem, heavy crowds were also seen on Chinna Kadai Veethi, Agraharam streets, and around Four Roads, Five Roads, and the new bus stand area. Awareness messages played over loudspeakers as police maintained a vigilant presence to ensure crowd control and protect against pickpocketing.
Amol Palekar advocates against pre-censorship in films and theatre, urging the government to protect artists' freedom of expression.
BJP legislators demand release of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh, threatening protests and border blockade if demands not met.
Odisha loses 790 elephants in a decade, with electrocution as the leading cause of unnatural deaths.
ASI issues notice to halt construction at Arya Akshobhya Teertha Mutt near Rameshwara temple in Shivamogga.
Madurai High Court orders removal of encroachments along Madurai-Dindigul highway, Corporation and Highways Department officials conduct joint operation.
Maharashtra Congress chief initiates signature campaign for return of ballot papers, sparking nationwide debate on EVMs.
Udupi Deputy Commissioner K. Vidyakumari on Wednesday directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to undertake periodical maintenance of NH66 without giving room for complaints.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw updates Lok Sabha on Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. shareholding, Goa willing to relinquish.
One dies, eight hospitalised after inhaling HCL fumes at pharma company in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli district. About 400 litres of HCL leaked from the reactor-cum-receiver tank at Unit-III of the company, which affected nine workers, says Collector. While the condition of six of them is stable, two are on ventilator support. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu directs authorities to provide advanced treatment to the victims. Home Minister Anitha expresses anger over repeated such incidents.
Parents and social workers in Thoothukudi request new Anganwadi buildings due to unsafe conditions in current rental buildings.
Delta districts face heavy rainfall, prompting coordinated efforts to mitigate damages, with NDRF teams deployed for rescue operations.