Business near Charminar yet to pick up

Vendors find it tough going after reopening of markets following relaxation in lockdown due to dip in footfall

Hyderabad: The environs of the historic monument are bereft of the usual shopping buzz that adds a certain charm to a visit of Charminar. And nearly four months after the relaxations in the Covid-19 lockdown were announced and markets opened up in the city, businesses are yet to pick up around the Charminar monument.

Though the old city markets thrive round-the-year here, apart from the Ramzan month, a huge business turnover is reported between October and January months when the tourists flow is high. However, this year the footfall is minimal due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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“For four months between March and August the markets were shut down. When we opened the shops we just idled around for two more months. Now the remaining part of the year we have little or no sales,” laments Shahbaaz Khan, a trader from Pathergatti.

“Sales are picking up slowly and we hope and pray the business to return to normal at the earliest. If all goes well, may be our business will bounce back by January,” said Nadeem Shareef, a trader at the Gulzar Houz market. Traders complain of spending a lot of money on recurring expenses like power bills, rents, salaries of employees etc.

“Our present earnings are not sufficient to even pay salaries of our employees. After without work for several months they reported for work and are being paid half the salary. Now we are taking loans from private persons to pay the power bills and shop rents,” said Syed Qutubuddin, a bangle store owner at Laad Bazaar.

Despite local crowds thronging the market in view of the marriage season in the city and neighbouring districts, the business is very low. “Families are visiting the shops but the quantum of purchase is small,” complained another trader. In fact, the historic Charminar monument is drawing just around 300 visitors everyday as against a few thousand before the Covid.

“The number is low with only local people visiting the monument. In comparison to previous years, the figures of both the domestic and international tourists’ numbers are very low,” said an official of the Archeological Survey of India.

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