Srinagar: People in Srinagar are facing many hardships as they are not able to find even essential items like vegetables and milk in the market. Markets across the valley are shut and public transport is banned. Only pharmacies and groceries are allowed to open, but many of them have run out of stock.
Muzaffar Ahmad, a resident of Rainawari, told Kashmir Reader that for the last three days he has been unable to find a vegetable vendor.
“We are not able to find fresh veggies. In our homes we have only potato and onion, which we are eating for the last three days,” he said.
Ahmad said that before three days vegetable sellers were there in the market, although the prices were high, but now not a single vendor is to be seen anywhere.
Residents of Dargah area also said that they were unable to find fresh vegetables, nor milk.
“Whatever vegetables we had in our homes have ended and we are only left with pulses. We don’t what we will do in the coming days,” said Majid Ahmad, a resident of Dargah area.
He added that even milk is not available in the markets. “We were getting milk from Ganderbal but for the last four days we are not getting even that,” he said.
Some vegetable vendors told Kashmir Reader that they were afraid of going out due to the risk of coronavirus. “We encounter different people in the market and we don’t know whether the person is infected or not. That is why I am deliberately not selling vegetables in the market,” said Ali Mohammad.
President of the Fruit and Vegetables Traders’ Association, Bashir Ahmad Bashir, said that there are two reasons why essential items are not available in the market.
“The first reason is that for the last five days the highway is closed. We only have potato and onion stocks left. We are not getting supply of vegetables like beans, peas, etc.
Apart from that, vendors as well as retailers are avoiding business due to the scare of coronavirus,” Bashir said.
“In the coming days people will face more problems but we, too, are helpless. We get supplies from Punjab and Delhi and we are aware that the state borders have been sealed,” he added.

NAZIMA SIDIQ