Dasarathpur: With coronavirus threat hitting the entire district of Jajpur, the lucrative business of selling colours and other Holi ingredients have taken a beating at Mangalpur and Jhumpuri market in this block here. Business in these two markets has slumped.
“The celebratory mood that is usually seen prior to Holi in these two markets has disappeared because of coronavirus fears,” said wholesale dealers of colours. “The rush to buy colours, balloons, water guns (pichkaris), masks and wigs is not there this time around,” they added.
These businessmen would open their shops at Mangalpur and Jhumpuri markets at least a fortnight before the festival. People from nearby villages and sometimes even from Jajpur town come here to buy colours, informed the shop owners.
“The Odisha Health Department has issued some dos and don’ts to keep the disease at bay. May be that is the reason why people are staying away from Holi this year. However, it is we who have suffered losses, but then the people are helpless also. Nobody wants to get hit by coronavirus,” the shop owners said.
“There are a number of colour variants that have Chinese chemicals. People are aware of that and it is another reason for them not opting to buy colours,” they opined.
Mangalpur community health centre (CHC) officer Dr Umakanta Mallick said that the best way for people to play Holi this season is to use herbal colours as it would diminish the coronavirus threat to a great extent. Herbal colours do not have chemical components, he informed. Mallick also said that for seniors suffering from cough and cold it would be advisable to avoid Holi this year.
PNN