JOIN USAs Bengaluru catches Covid-19 fever, business hubs feel the chill
Bengaluru’s business hubs are falling one by one to the rampant coronavirus.
Top revenue generating wards in the tech hub — which accounted for 981 of the total 1,843 new cases in the state on Monday — are seeing a sharp spike in Covid-19 cases, which could derail business activities in the coming days in these areas.
Consider this: the highest number of cases for the past 10 days have been in Shanthala Nagar (MG Road, Brigade Road, Ashok Nagar), Chickpet (wholesale business), Basavanapura (IT hub), Malleswaram (markets), Gandhi Nagar (shopping, markets, eateries etc), Dharmaraya Swamy Temple ward (electronic goods) and Jayanagar ward (commercial hub).
According to the BBMP, these wards are the highest revenue earners for the civic body.
On Sunday, the highest number of cases were reported in Shantala Nagar ward (no 111), which saw 59 fresh infections.
M B Dwarakanath, corporator of Shantala Nagar, said the ward is seeing a sudden spike after not seeing any infections for several days. “Our ward is the highest revenue generator and entertainment hub in the city. There are three stadiums and a huge shopping hub but if cases continue to rise like this, it would be difficult for business,” he said.
The bustling Chickpete area witnesses a turnover of several crores every day. Gold and silver jewellery shops do business worth nearly Rs 1,000 on any given day. Some silk and saree shops see sales up to Rs 35-40 lakh per day.
On Sunday, the virus-hit ward reported 23 new cases, with the total number of cases rising to 115.
Leela Shivakumar, corporator of Chickpete, said that the ward generated nearly Rs 100 cr revenue to the BBMP, but has been locked down at present after many merchants’ association expressed alarm at the spike in cases.
But merchants staying in other areas and having shops in Chickpete are now demanding permission to open their outlets, which is being opposed by businessmen staying inside Chickpete, she said.
She said that several cases have been reported in Chickpet despite the lockdown.
Another ward which has been badly hit is Jayanagar, whose corporator, Gangambike Mallikarjun, said the ward generated a revenue of Rs 8.75 crore to the BBMP.
“There were zero cases for a long time but suddenly there is a spike in cases,” she said. “On Sunday alone, there were 16 cases. People are fearless about the virus and roaming without masks and not maintaining social distance.”
The corporator said she is in favour of another lockdown for the entire city to stop the spread of the virus.