Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Apr 22: Fish vendors jostled to buy fish at the fisheries dock at the Bunder area here. During the time the fish stock is marketed, neither masks are worn by the vendors nor social distancing is followed.

As deep sea fishing has come to a standstill here, fish from other states gets supplied in the city. The auctions take place from 2 to 7 am every day. Retail vendors go to the Bunder area to buy fish but there are allegations that the vendors do not follow precautionary measures to stop the proliferation of the pandemic.

Bunder port (File photo)

The district administration has provided a facility for auctioning of fish on the road leading to the dock. Enough lighting arrangement has been made to facilitate trade at night. About 25 huge fish trucks from other states arrive here. Vendors come here with their mini trucks or tempos to buy fish.

One of the auctioneers, Majeed, confessed that it is difficult to maintain social distance as about 500 fish vendors gather here and the road is narrow. He stressed that it would be convenient if the police could control the crowd.

Even people who travel between the city and Bengare from morning to noon here face jam-packed conditions in the boat that carries about 30 people at a time making the social distancing impossible.

Locals say that there are no policemen to regulate the crowd. Even the police vans which arrive, warn the people to follow norms from a distance before proceeding further. They say that as soon as the van moves away, the people crowd the area again.