PALAKKAD: Heavy vehicles carrying vegetables and other essential materials from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are struck for the past two days in Palakkad- Thrissur National Highway after Kuthiran stretch became unmotorable following heavy landslide. This may pose a threat to the availability of vegetables in the southern parts of the state, especially in Kochi. Several lorry drivers have started offloading perishable vegetables to the local markets in Palakkad.
“We are struck here for the past two days. We were heading to the Aluva market. Since other routes are closed, Kuthiran was the only road available to reach our destination. We will wait for one more day. If we can’t reach our destination, we will offload the vegetables at the local markets here,” said Alagappan, a lorry driver. Local vegetable vendors say prices of several vegetables have already gone up. “A few days ago tomato was available for Rs 20 per kilo, but now it costs Rs 35 a kilo. Chilly, which was selling for Rs 30 per kg, now costs Rs 80 per kg. Some vegetables are not even coming to the market,” said Faisal Rahman, a vegetable dealer near Kuzhalmannam.
With trucks not reaching Aluva and Ernakulam markets, several retail shops in Kochi have started running out of stock. “Our vehicles are stuck in Thrissur and Palakkad. Since there is a shortage of vegetables, we have stopped distributing them to dealers. We have imposed some restriction on the sale of vegetables, so that they will be available to all those affected by flood,” said Shameel, a wholesale vegetables dealer in the Ernakulam market.
Several container trucks are also struck along the National Highway stretch. A long queue of heavy vehicles are now stranded between Kuzhalmannam and Vadakkancherry, a town near Kuthiran. “We have to deliver the cars to a showroom near Edappally. We got a message that the area is partially submerged. So they have asked us to wait for a few more days to deliver the vehicles,” said Hemanth a truck driver.
Kuthiran landslide hits fuel supply in Palakkad
Palakkad: With tanker lorries not reaching the district from Kochi owing to the landslide at Kuthiran, the fuel stations in some part of the district are running out of stock. The situation started with tanker lorries facing difficulty in reaching the district from Kochi. “Our stock is completely out now. We hope by evening, some tanker lorries will reach. We have also imposed some restrictions on giving petrol. A person can fill a maximum of 5 litres,” said a person working in a petrol pump.