Hyderabad's popular annual trade fair 'Numaish', which was abruptly shut down a day after inauguration on January 6 due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, is likely to be reopened later this month. With health authorities declaring that the third phase of the pandemic is over in the state, All India Industrial Exhibition Society, the organisers of the annual event, are planning to resume 'Numaish' from February 20-25.
As COVID-19 curbs have been lifted in the state, the organisers have made a request to police and other authorities to grant permission for conducting the fair for one month. A meeting of the society attended by some government officials was held on Wednesday to discuss the proposal. According to a member of the society, various departments have responded positively. The organisers are said to be waiting for a final nod from the police.
After receiving the permission from all departments concerned, the society will invite traders to again set up their stalls. The 45-day-long Numaish, which began on January 1, 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 cancelled the fair 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. About 10,000 people had visited the exhibition when authorities ordered All India Industrial Exhibition Society (AIIES) to close it.
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 abrupt closure caused huge losses to traders who had set up their stalls. 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 in short Numaish 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.