Bhubaneswar: With Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) providing further relaxations in lockdown, saloons and beauty parlours here saw large footfall despite shop owners allowing fewer customers to enforce social distancing and operating with limited manpower.
Issuing fresh guidelines, the BMC, May 19, allowed operation of other commercial activities which were otherwise had been banned earlier. The guideline which removed saloon and beauty parlour shops from the prohibited category came as a huge respite to the owners who saw complete restriction on their businesses much before the national lockdown.
“It’s nearly after two months we are re-opening our outlets. Early morning saw large number of customers arriving at the shops, Thursday. But since we are asked to enforce social distancing, we only allowed three customers in the saloon while leaving three other seats vacant. Meanwhile, we requested other customers to come after some time and asked them not to sit at waiting area,” said Iqbal Afroz, manager at a local saloon shop.
Stating about hygiene measures, Afroz said that he has bought about 100 use-and-throw aprons and as many gloves which are being properly sanitized and will be disposed after every use. “We have also asked our barbers to provide services to only those customers who have worn masks. However, exceptions could be made in case of beard grooming or facial treatments.”
The saloon shops and beauty parlours that saw restrictions a week before national shutdown have seen their business hit new lows. As the services neither qualified under essentials nor it got relaxations with successive lockdowns, the owners have termed ‘a tough road ahead’ in terms of recovery.
“We were ordered to shut down right around the peak wedding season,” said Debosmitha Rath, owner of a beauty parlour at Nayapalli. “Observing the usual rush, we had taken payments for pre-booking. That money is used to purchase the luxury make-up kits as demanded by the customers. However, as we were abruptly made to shutdown we had to return the payments and that cost us heavy loss. Moreover, monthly shop rent and payment of employee salary has added to our woes.”
Moreover, despite relaxations, the owners felt that the limited customers and manpower meant that the business wouldn’t be the same before. “Some of workers have not been able to rejoin as they went back to their cities and villages. Lack of public transport in the city has also left them with no commute to travel to work. We are extremely short on manpower,” Iqbal complained.