The grand opening of the Swedish company Ikea in Hyderabad, the first in India, received a roaring response with the streets packed with vehicles and people trying their best to make it inside the outlet.
News about chaotic scenes at Hitec City and choked traffic has been doing the rounds on WhatsApp since morning and Ikea being spread over such a vast area, people were bound to visit or have a look at the Mega furniture store, which in itself turned out to be a blessing in disguise for them. However the huge response invited trouble for the people as well as security staff.
House full
It peaked around 4:30 in the evening when packed crowds argued with security guys to let them inside. Foreign security staff used megaphones along with other locals to make frantic requests to maintain calm. IKEA staffers were also seen giving away water to people waiting in serpentine queues. With light showers playing spoiler, people began to jostle each other. Senior citizens and children had a tough time. At a nearby gate a man was pleading with the security staff to let his family in because his parents were already inside and they had been waiting for long. “I just want to go inside and join my parents. I am not blaming anyone or IKEA... such things are bound to happen. I just want to go inside,” he told this newspaper. The security person at the gate interrupted him and asked him to enter through the centre gate which had double the crowd as compared to the one where he was standing. Asked wether if he would be allowed from the centre gate, the security person only said: “I am here na, don’t worry.”
No parking
Parking too turned out to be a major issue as the in-built parking of such a massive complex was overbooked, which ultimately forced people to leave their vehicles by the roadside. This was an additional hurdle with normal traffic getting affected badly and with rain making its presence every few hours, it was quite a wet start.
