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Barricades at Vashi APMC to ensure social distancing
After Friday’s mayhem when more than 15,000 people and 1,000 trucks arrived at Vashi’s Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), the police on Sunday started
After Friday’s mayhem when more than 15,000 people and 1,000 trucks arrived at Vashi’s Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), the police on Sunday started barricading the area to ensure that people maintain queue and stand at safe distance on Monday.
On Sunday, there was hardly any truck at the market.
Satish Nikam, senior police officer, said, “Barricading has been done to ensure that those who come to APMC market maintain safe distance. After seeing the situation on Monday, we will take more measures if needed.”
The APMC market is working with only 40 percent staff and truckers are made to wait for hours before they are let in. Then they have to wait for vegetables to be unloaded.
Narendra Patil, Mathadi Kamgar leader, APMC, said, “On Friday night, around 1,000 trucks arrived and more than 15,000 people came to the market. It was chaotic. We have to stop the crowding.”
APMC usually sees around 600 trucks arrive with vegetables and fruits.
“We had a meeting and from Monday we will restrict the number of trucks to around 250. Measures are taken to stop people from crowding the market. However, the situation will be assessed on Monday,” said Patil.
The earlier consignment of vegetables were seen lying in heaps. Traders had to sell them at throwaway prices but most will have to be thrown away.
Sunil Kumar, 28, drove a truck full of chillies and garlic to APMC market ftom Karnataka on Sunday. He had to wait for six hours before we could enter the market. He said, “It is a long journey and it is difficult for us to get food. The police provided us food here but there was no one to unload the consignment.”
Kumar has been bringing in vegetables along with MH Gauda, 40 another driver for past five years.
