All markets in New Town, including temporary stalls selling fish, vegetables, poultry, grocery items and tea among others, will be shut this weekend, a New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) official said.

The markets will be shut down as they have been attracting large crowds every day in violation of distancing rules, the official said. He, however, could not say if they will reopen on Monday.

There are 10 markets in the three action areas of New Town and temporary markets in front of the Sukhobrishti housing complex in Action Area III and near Greenfield Heights in Action Area II. The markets will be disinfected on Saturday and Sunday, the official said.

Debashis Sen, the NKDA chairman, said the decision to close the markets was taken to “break the chain of Covid-19 spread”. The NKDA had conducted multiple surveys on all markets using drones and crowds were spotted everywhere, he said. “We will close the markets and disinfect them. New Town does not have any containment zone but coronavirus cases are on the rise in the township.”

The NKDA had drawn circles a metre apart outside shops to ensure people followed distancing rules. Officials had requested people over loudhailers to follow rules. “The results were limited… all the markets are drawing huge crowds… many don’t even wear masks,” an NKDA official said.

Apart from the markets, food stalls in front of office complexes, including the NKDA-managed food court in front of the Unitech bus stop and those near the DLF building close to Nazrul Tirtha, will be shut. Malls, departmental stores and other standalone shops will remain open, though, on the weekend.

Another official said the NKDA was thinking of keeping the markets open on alternate days.

The NKDA is planning to request people to stock up instead of going to markets daily and tell them fewer visits could reduce the risk of getting Covid-19, the official said.