NEW DELHI: After the Delhi high court blast, it seems people in the city do not want to take any chances. The terror alert for Tuesday may have been shrugged off by many but when it came to stepping out at public places, people preferred to be cautious. Footfalls at malls and shopping complexes took a plunge and dining out was left for another day. The thin crowds were testimony to the fact that not many wanted to indulge in bravado. During the peak hours of the evening, Khan Market, usually crowded with people, had a deserted look. There were few pedestrians and window shoppers, and restaurants typically packed with customers had most of their tables vacant. Rajiv Lal, manager of the popular Urban Cafe , too, noticed this shift after the blast last week. "Since the blast on Wednesday, our footfall has gone down by about 20%, and today it is down by about 25%." The glass doors at the cafe had pictures of the two suspects of the recent bombings. Ravi Kiran, manager of Watermelon cafe , said their business had suffered by 30-40 % as well. Other markets in the city also saw the effects of an anxious society. Saurav Suman, manager of Pebble Street Restaurant in Delhi (New Friends Colony) , said: "Customers went down by 10-15 % after the blast, and there are very few today. Usually we expect a packed restaurant, but that is not the case today."
Mansi Singh, a housewife, also said the red alert "scared" her. "I had to go to many crowded markets today but changed my plans because it is dangerous to venture out today." Abdul Kabir had come to Delhi with his family for just one day, all the way from Satna in Madhya Pradesh, completely unaware of the red alert. "Now that I know, we will head back now only instead of staying through the night," he said, as he strolled around India Gate. The place, too, was practically empty, with more vendors than visitors. Even the city's plush malls were not spared. Pathways were empty, shops were desolate and salespeople looked out longingly for customers, cafes were bare of customers except for the odd few tables here and there. The shift manager of DT Star Cinemas, Nitin Mehlawat, was certain that there was no impact on business , but the on-the-spot availability of tickets for every movie suggested a different story. Click here to Know more about Connaught Place Restaurats . M D Rehan, manager of PVR Select Citywalk, too, said business was as usual, but there was nobody buying the abundant tickets available, and no lines of people waiting to buy their popcorn and cold drinks. Manav Tyagi, manager at a shoe store in the same mall, said: "Since last week, business has gone down by 50-60 %, and it is even slower today . Not many people have been coming to the mall."
Source “TOI”
Mansi Singh, a housewife, also said the red alert "scared" her. "I had to go to many crowded markets today but changed my plans because it is dangerous to venture out today." Abdul Kabir had come to Delhi with his family for just one day, all the way from Satna in Madhya Pradesh, completely unaware of the red alert. "Now that I know, we will head back now only instead of staying through the night," he said, as he strolled around India Gate. The place, too, was practically empty, with more vendors than visitors. Even the city's plush malls were not spared. Pathways were empty, shops were desolate and salespeople looked out longingly for customers, cafes were bare of customers except for the odd few tables here and there. The shift manager of DT Star Cinemas, Nitin Mehlawat, was certain that there was no impact on business , but the on-the-spot availability of tickets for every movie suggested a different story. Click here to Know more about Connaught Place Restaurats . M D Rehan, manager of PVR Select Citywalk, too, said business was as usual, but there was nobody buying the abundant tickets available, and no lines of people waiting to buy their popcorn and cold drinks. Manav Tyagi, manager at a shoe store in the same mall, said: "Since last week, business has gone down by 50-60 %, and it is even slower today . Not many people have been coming to the mall."
Source “TOI”
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