Even as T. Nagar limps back to normalcy, around 100 shops adjacent to the Chennai Silks showroom are yet to resume business as they may be damaged while the fire-ravaged building is being razed down.
On Sunday, huge pieces of construction debris from the Chennai Silks building fell on the shops nearby, frightening shopkeepers. Soon, a team of traders met with police officers requesting permission to retrieve valuable items from their shops.
According to sources, the officials have planned to suspend demolition for some time to facilitate the retrieval of valuable items from shops nearby.
“Our shops are getting damaged. We are not sure if we will be able to start business again. We hope to salvage at least some expensive articles and equipment,” said Shanmugam, a shopkeeper. A few traders were permitted to retrieve documents and cash from their shops after the fire. But material, equipment and other valuables have not been retrieved by the owners so far.
“Today is the first muhurtham after agni nakchatram. We were expecting sales to rise from ₹5 crore to ₹15 crore. But it has actually come down,” said a trader who has a shop in one of the adjacent buildings.
T. Sarathi, an office bearer of the traders’ association, said as many as 100 traders who have establishments near the building may incur huge losses.
Employees on leave
Many employees of the shops that have been shut down have gone on leave. “Many of our workers have returned to their native villages in Tiruvannamalai, Vellore and other areas. We will not be able to pay them during this period,” said one of the shopkeepers. Over 1,000 employees are likely to have been affected.
Kumar K., proprietor of Max Gold Jewellery on Pinjala Subramaniam Street, said that this was a trying time for businesses which have closed down.
“I have never closed my shop for so long,” Mr. Kumar said. “Customers will not wait. They will go to other shops. Each day is a loss. The police say it will take at least a week for the demolition to be completed,” he said.
“My employees have been moved to my Anna Nagar shop but there is not work there for everyone,” Mr. Kumar added.
GRT jewellers on Usman Road reopened on Sunday afternoon.
“All the employees have returned to work. However, customers can enter only through the back entrance for now,” said an employee.
Employees donning company T-shirts are stationed at each barricade to direct customers to the showroom.
Business has however been slow at many shops that have reopened.
“Our main shop is on Usman Road and it has been closed since Wednesday,” said an employee at Youngmen Tailors, which also has a branch on Pinjala Subramaniam Street. “We have not been able to access our products. On Saturday, we urgently needed some clothes from the shop and got permission from the Deputy Commissioner to take them,” he said.
On Sunday, huge pieces of construction debris from the Chennai Silks building fell on the shops nearby, frightening shopkeepers. Soon, a team of traders met with police officers requesting permission to retrieve valuable items from their shops.
According to sources, the officials have planned to suspend demolition for some time to facilitate the retrieval of valuable items from shops nearby.
“Our shops are getting damaged. We are not sure if we will be able to start business again. We hope to salvage at least some expensive articles and equipment,” said Shanmugam, a shopkeeper. A few traders were permitted to retrieve documents and cash from their shops after the fire. But material, equipment and other valuables have not been retrieved by the owners so far.
“Today is the first muhurtham after agni nakchatram. We were expecting sales to rise from ₹5 crore to ₹15 crore. But it has actually come down,” said a trader who has a shop in one of the adjacent buildings.
T. Sarathi, an office bearer of the traders’ association, said as many as 100 traders who have establishments near the building may incur huge losses.
Employees on leave
Many employees of the shops that have been shut down have gone on leave. “Many of our workers have returned to their native villages in Tiruvannamalai, Vellore and other areas. We will not be able to pay them during this period,” said one of the shopkeepers. Over 1,000 employees are likely to have been affected.
Kumar K., proprietor of Max Gold Jewellery on Pinjala Subramaniam Street, said that this was a trying time for businesses which have closed down.
“I have never closed my shop for so long,” Mr. Kumar said. “Customers will not wait. They will go to other shops. Each day is a loss. The police say it will take at least a week for the demolition to be completed,” he said.
“My employees have been moved to my Anna Nagar shop but there is not work there for everyone,” Mr. Kumar added.
GRT jewellers on Usman Road reopened on Sunday afternoon.
“All the employees have returned to work. However, customers can enter only through the back entrance for now,” said an employee.
Employees donning company T-shirts are stationed at each barricade to direct customers to the showroom.
Business has however been slow at many shops that have reopened.
“Our main shop is on Usman Road and it has been closed since Wednesday,” said an employee at Youngmen Tailors, which also has a branch on Pinjala Subramaniam Street. “We have not been able to access our products. On Saturday, we urgently needed some clothes from the shop and got permission from the Deputy Commissioner to take them,” he said.