Connaught place businesses report 75 per cent drop in sales due to Jantar Mantar demonstrations

Traders in Jantar Mantar and Connaught Place reported severe business losses as ongoing CJP protests disrupted footfall. Road diversions, metro station closures, and internet disruptions affecting digital payments reduced sales to just 25 percent of normal levels

New Delhi: Shops and stalls around Jantar Mantar, usually bustling with shoppers have worn a deserted look through the week as the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest disrupted business, leaving traders with poor sales, empty parking lots and mounting concerns over their livelihoods.

The impact of the week-long protest has extended beyond traffic diversions and Metro station closures, with traders in the Jantar Mantar flea market and Connaught Place saying they have witnessed one of the weakest business weeks in recent months.

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Many shopkeepers said they either kept their shops shut on several days or saw barely any customers walking in. On Saturday afternoon, when the market would normally be crowded, only a handful of stalls remained open while most shutters were down.

“We open our shop every morning hoping business will improve this whole week but there are hardly any customers. Some days, we don’t even make our first sale,” said Ramesh Kumar, who sells clothes at the flea market.

Another trader, Shabnam Ali, who has been operating a garment stall for years, said internet restrictions in the area added to their difficulties. “Most customers prefer paying digitally. But, with poor internet connectivity, transactions keep failing. Many people simply leave because they don’t have cash,” she said.

Shopkeepers also blamed traffic congestion and security restrictions for keeping visitors away.”People don’t want to get stuck in traffic or walk long distances after road closures. Even regular customers have stopped coming this week,” said Vijay Mehta, who runs a perfume shop near Jantar Mantar.

Several traders said the market had remained largely inactive from Monday to Friday, with business dropping sharply compared to normal days. “We survive on daily sales. Losing an entire week during the tourist season hurts small vendors like us the most,” said Sunil, who sells jewellery.

The New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA), representing businesses in Connaught Place, said traders have been earning only around 25 per cent of their usual business over the past week due to repeated restrictions and a sharp decline in footfall.

NDTA president Atul Bhargava said parking areas that usually accommodate around 100 cars have been seeing only 20-25 vehicles, reflecting the steep fall in visitors to the area. He said the Delhi Police had advised markets to close on Friday in view of the security situation, though some restaurants and a few establishments, including one near the Regal Building, remained open voluntarily as business owners did not want to suffer further losses.

“Our expenses have not reduced. Shop owners still have to pay property tax, salaries and other operational costs, but business has fallen drastically,” Bhargava said.

He added that internet disruptions have affected digital payments, forcing customers without cash to leave without making purchases. The closure of several metro stations during the morning hours also made it difficult for employees of shops and restaurants to reach their workplaces on time, he added.

Adding to commuters’ difficulties, several visitors and traders said autorickshaw drivers were charging higher fares because of road diversions and congestion around central Delhi.

With the protest continuing and restrictions remaining in place in parts of the city, traders said they were hoping for normalcy to return soon, saying prolonged disruptions were taking a toll on small businesses that depend almost entirely on daily customer footfall.