Traders in Kozhikode hit hard by imposition of fresh COVID-19 curbs

They had stocked up things to sell during Vishu-Ramzan season

Traders and merchants in Kozhikode district are peeved over the loss of business in the Vishu-Ramzan festival season owing to the restrictions imposed by the administration to contain COVID-19. District functionaries of the Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi, the biggest platform of traders in the State, said their members were going through a tough phase for the past few years. They had to face the Nipah outbreak that affected Kozhikode and Malappuram in 2018, back-to-back floods, and the pandemic. When it was felt that there had been a dip in fresh cases in recent weeks, the traders had stocked materials to sell during the Vishu-Ramzan season this year. The restrictions have now dashed their hopes. “S.M. Street in Kozhikode city is one of the worst affected places. Even after the lockdown was withdrawn, it remained closed for long, along with some parts of Valiyangadi. The traders and merchants are staring at a bleak future as most of them had stocked up materials on credit for sale now,” said K. Sethumadhavan, one of the State secretaries of the Samithi, based in Kozhikode. He said that if the officials had hinted about possible restrictions after the Assembly elections, the traders would not have stocked things.