E-Paper
Mumbai lockdown: Some shopkeepers run out of stock
Several shopkeepers and street vendors across the city ran out of their stocks on Wednesday, as they complained of lack of fresh supplies from Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) markets.
Several shopkeepers and street vendors across the city ran out of their stocks on Wednesday, as they complained of lack of fresh supplies from Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) markets.
Earlier, on Tuesday evening people at Andheri, Bandra and Ghatkopar, among other places across the city, could be seen standing in serpentine queues outside grocery stores to stock up on their supplies in bulk after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a televised addressed to the nation announced a 21-day lockdown across the country to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19).
“We ran out of groceries, including food grains and biscuits on Monday evening. But, customers are still coming in droves,” said Ramdas Gupta of Hingwalla Vyapari Mitra Mandal.
“Vegetables are in short supply. Only a few essential items such as tomatoes and potatoes are available, but carrots and green leafy vegetables are all out of stock,” he added.
Prerak Choudhary, an advocate from Colaba, who went out in the morning to buy flowers for Chaitra Navratri that began Wednesday, had to return home empty-handed. He complained of an inadequate supply of bottled water.
“Most things are available in the market. However, you will have to make do with any other brand and can’t afford to be picky because of the skewed demand-supply ratio amid this panic buying. Besides, there shouldn’t be too many people on streets, which defeats the exercise of lockdown,” said Choudhary.
Mumbaikars complained across the city that vegetables were being sold at a higher rate than usual, while some of those who had ordered for essentials online were not getting the deliveries.
“Total fiasco in Nerul, Navi Mumbai. No grocery shops, no vegetable shops are open and police have forcefully shut each and every shop, despite PM Modi’s assurance of availability of all essential commodities. There is no proper regulation of timing for shopping,” complained Munendra Kumar Jha, a retired naval officer.
