The makeshift vegetable market at Jai Prakash Udyan in Adityapur, where crowds flouted social distancing norms without care a week ago, has learnt its lesson.

Seraikela-Kharsawan district administration has initiated strict measures to implement social distancing at the vegetable market near the Kharkai overbridge.

The slew of measures includes regulated entry, deployment of police constables and volunteers, earmarking parking slots and marking places for persons to stand while maintaining distance from each other.

It is also mandatory for vegetable vendors to wear gloves. Buyers are not allowed to touch vegetables. Small posters informing the visitors about dos and don’ts are also put up at vantage places across the market.

When The Telegraph visited the market on Thursday morning, there were separate entry points for men and women and minimum rush. Two lathi-wielding policemen monitored visitors at the entry gates.

Buyers stood on demarcated marks. Both vendors and buyers maintained social distancing.

Buyers have also been told to buy at least 500gm of vegetables at a time so as not to buy less and use that as an excuse to visit the market daily.

“Please don’t touch vegetables. Tell me what you want and I will segregate and give them to you,” vendor Pradip Mahto told a buyer and pointed the dos and don’ts poster nailed to a tree.

Seraikela sub-divisional officer Basharat Qayyum said the effort was aimed at social distancing, which is the need of the hour. “People should realise the gravity of the situation,” he said.

Residents of bungalows and residential flats near the Jai Prakash Udyan also heaved a sigh of relief. “These steps should have been taken the day the vegetable market was shifted here, but better late than never,” said Krishna Rao, a resident.