Coronavirus: Police Disperse Diamond Traders

(IDEX Online) - Police had to intervene after hundreds of merchants broke social distancing rules by gathering at Varaccha Diamond Market, in Surat.

Industry bodies have been urging their members to stay away from Varaccha and the nearby Mahidapura market, where diamonds are traded for export via Mumbai.

Authorities in Surat (pictured), the cut-and-polish hub, have allowed factories and workshops to resume production with up to half their staff, providing they follow strict guidelines on sanitizing and social distancing.

But merchants are desperate to trade again after more than two months of lockdown.

The Surat Diamond Association (SDA) and the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council are both appealing to members to do business over social media where possible and to avoid congregating at the market.

Babu Kathiriya, president of the SDA, told Times of India: "Diamond merchants are gathering at the Varachha diamond market and social distancing norms have gone for a toss."