Our Correspondent
Kohima, Dec. 17 (EMN): With Christmas barely eight days away and festivities all set to begin, citizens of Kohima were seen gearing up for the festive season amidst rising Covid-19 cases in the state.
Heavy traffic jams are a familiar sight in the major routes of the state capital with people thronging the streets and market places for shopping. However, Khouchiezhie (local ground) Kohima, where carnivals and melas are usually held, wore a deserted look this year.
The areas from the North gate of the local ground to the South gate and its adjoining vicinity were seen packed with traders and customers on Wednesday.
Huge crowd was also seen around BOC, with people from the town as well as neighbouring villages going on a shopping spree, purchasing clothing and other apparels. Vendors selling sweets, cakes, cookies and other decorative items were also seen busy attending to the customers.
The Old MLA hostel junction (Phoolbari), another area of activity, came alive in the evening with a vast array of fast food vendors and others.
Owner of a clothing store, Roko, while speaking to Eastern Mirror, shared that ‘there is a rise in the number of customers and people coming out for shopping during the last few days as Christmas is just a few days away’.
He maintained that there is also an increase in sales by about 40%, unlike the usual time, as people shop more during the festive seasons, ‘although it is not like other years owing to the situation’.
He, however, expressed concern that there is a section of people who do not wear face masks and follow safety measures, which he said is ‘worrisome’.
The season is also a huge opportunity for home-based bakers to earn as there is high demand for cookies, wafers, and cakes, shared Velü.
‘It’s quite good and there is a huge demand this Christmas season with people ordering products for themselves and to gift others,’ she said.
Avinuo, who owns a thrift shop, shared that there is an increase in number of customers after people were halted from coming out to shop due to the Covid pandemic. She maintained that ‘people are coming to the shops to buy clothes’ though there were no carnivals and melas unlike previous years.
Some apparel and footwear stores are also offering a discount of up to 50% on select items to attract the customers.
Meanwhile, Shamin, who owns an electronic shop, said that there are lesser takers for electronic items.
Traffic police personnel, who wished not to be named, said that there is steep rise in the number of vehicles plying through town, causing heavy traffic jams due to limited parking space.
The updates provided by the Kohima traffic control room also indicated ‘slow movement’ on major routes in the town, most of the time.
Meanwhile, the Health department had warned about the possibility of an increase in the number of Covid-19 positive cases in the state with the onset of festive season, and has repeatedly advised the public to follow all safety measures and protocols by wearing face masks, maintaining distance and staying away from crowds.