Hyderabad's Numaish canceled due to Covid curbs

Hyderabad, Jan (IANS) Hyderabad's popular annual trade fair 'Numaish' has been cancelled in view of the curbs imposed by the Telangana government to check the spread of Covid-19.

The 45-day-long Numaish began on January 1 but was shut the very next day as authorities announced that they are suspending it till January 10.

After a review of the situation, the authorities have decided to cancel the fair.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand issued orders for cancellation of the event in view of the orders issued by the government banning public gatherings.

On the night of January 2, authorities had ordered closure of Numaish, a day after it was inaugurated by Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and state Home Minister Mahmood Ali.

Hundreds of visitors were at the fair when officials stopped the ticket bookings and ordered all those who were in Exhibition Grounds to leave immediately.

About 10,000 people visited the exhibition from Sunday afternoon till night when authorities ordered the All India Industrial Exhibition Society (AIIES) to close it.

The AIIES, which has been organising the fair for 80 years, had put in place various measures to adhere to Covid-19 safety rules like compulsory wearing of masks, maintaining social distance and vaccination of all stall owners.

The organisers had allotted 1,600 stalls to traders and various business organisations from different parts of the country to sell their products at the fair.

The exhibition could not be held last year due to Covid-19 situation. This was only the third time in its history that it could not be held.

Numaish-e-Masnuaat-e-Mulki or Numaish in short made a humble beginning in 1938 as an event to promote locally-produced goods.

The fair begins on January 1 every year and continues for 45 days. Traders from various parts of the country set up their stalls during the exhibition, which is visited by 45,000 people every day. Over 20 lakh visitors had visited the exhibition in 2019.