To mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, governments all across the country had to announce complete lockdowns in their states and UTs, which meant the closure of transportation, shops and other businesses for a prolonged period of time. Bearing the brunt of the lockdown, more than 50 lakh people have already lost their jobs. Many shopkeepers too are failing to assure whether their businesses would actually recover or not. As per reports, if the economic situation doesn’t see much improvement by Diwali, 25 percent of Mumbai shops might permanently shut down.
Only 70% Of Mumbai Shops Opened Up, The Remaining 30% Are Still Closed
Shops in Mumbai are gradually opening up as part of the unlocking of Maharashtra after the coronavirus lockdown. However, only around 70 percent of the Mumbai shops, including those selling essential items have opened up. The remaining 30 percent shops of small scale business owners are still shut. Reportedly, the traders body has said that if the condition doesn’t improve by Diwali, nearly 25 percent of these shops will have to permanently close their shutters. Many of them will have to leave Mumbai too. People are mostly purchasing food and groceries. Other small scale businesses are facing the acute financial crunch.
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There Are Around 2 Lakh Shops In Mumbai; 60,000 Of Them Didn’t Reopen Yet
As per Mid-Day reports, Viren Shah, the president of Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association, said, “Mumbai is open but due to expenses like rent, fewer staffers, and the 7 PM deadline, 30 per cent shops remain closed. There are around 2 lakh shops, both small and big, in Mumbai. So 60,000 of these are still closed. It is unlikely that things will improve this year. Businessmen could expect complete reopening in March 2021.”
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The COVID-19 pandemic has also been a major blow to the food vendors of Mumbai. Most of them have left the city, few are surviving on their savings and rest are exploring new opportunities to make their ends meet. Curly Tales spoke to some of Mumbai’s popular street food vendors, who had to switch to alternatives like selling vegetables and making YouTube videos to earn a livelihood amid the lockdown: