CHENNAI: Shankaran Y was a happy man before this lockdown. He owned a small roadside tiffin shop at Madipakkam and used to earn Rs 15,000 a month, which was enough to meet the needs of a family of four. He was already struggling with poor sales due to Covid and rise in prices of raw materials, but somehow managed to stay afloat. However, the lockdown changed everything.
Left with no other source of income, Shankaran has started selling vegetables since last week. But that too has been unprofitable for him. “I have spent all my life making soft idlis and I knew nothing about vegetable business. Out of desperation, I tried my luck but I am sustaining losses. Last year, during lockdown, I had suffered huge losses and survived on my savings.
But for this year’s lockdown, I was not prepared at all,” said 42-year-old Shankaran. “I don’t know how I will feed my family.” He said his business had started flourishing from January this year and customers were back relishing his fluffy idlis, but all his happiness was shortlived. Similar is the plight of hundreds of street food vendors across the city.
With outbreak of Covid, sales had nosedived and with lockdown in force, there is uncertainty over opening their shops. With no relief in sight, many have changed their professions. Youngsters have turned delivery boys while many are trying their hands in petty businesses.
But a majority of them are being pushed to penury. “Big hotels and restaurants can manage to run through Swiggy and Zomato but we cannot do the same. We are not that tech-literate, and don’t have so many resources either,” rued Krishnan V, another vendor.