The Darjeeling district administration, in an order on Saturday, announced the closure of the fruit and vegetable market at Siliguri Regulated Market from Monday for seven days to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“Fruits and vegetable complexes under the RMC (regulated market committee) will be closed for seven days from Monday as a preventive measure since few places have been linked with the fish market under the RMC…..it’s a precautionary step,” said Ponnambalam S., the district magistrate of Darjeeling.

The decision comes a day after the administration closed the wholesale fish market, the largest wholesale fish market of north Bengal located on the same premises as the fruit and vegetable ones, after some persons tested Covid-19 positive. Covid-19 infections were also detected in ward 46 where the regulated market is located. This, traders believe, is yet another reason for Saturday’s decision.

Like the fish market, the fruits and vegetables market is also the largest wholesale hub of such produce in the north Bengal region. There are 850 wholesalers at the market who deal in fruits and vegetables.

Tapan Saha, secretary of the Siliguri Regulated Market Traders’ United Forum, said they would shut the fruits and vegetable markets in Siliguri Regulate Market from coming Monday for a week.

“The administration has given the order which we will follow. The entire area will be sanitised during the week,” said Saha. “We have appealed to all wholesalers and others associated with the market to maintain health and safety steps once the market reopens.”

Every day, hundreds of tonnes of fruits and vegetables from the Siliguri hub are supplied across Darjeeling district other neighbouring districts, as well as the state of Sikkim.

The weeklong shutdown of the market, some traders said, would affect trade and supply of fruits and vegetables in the region. “As Unlock I started, traders started receiving regular supply of fruits and vegetables from other states. We had just started recovering from losses incurred during the lockdown. This weeklong closure will affect trade here,” said a wholesaler dealing in fruits.

On Saturday, the district magistrate also visited Bidhan Market, the largest retail marketplace of the city, and asked traders to continue their business with all precautions.