KOCHI: The triple lockdown imposed in four districts has helped contain the rapid spread of Covid. While the public have been largely cooperating with the restrictions there have been complaints about the decision to shut down grocery and vegetable shops. As per the lockdown guidelines, shops selling grocery items, vegetables and fruits, fish and meat are permitted to function only three days a week from 8am till 2pm. However, social workers and police personnel on enforcement duty say that there is crowding at supermarkets, grocery shops and vegetable stalls.
Long queues were visible in front of supermarkets in Kochi on Thursday as shops opened at 8 am. Customers complained that certain products are not available and the price of vegetables was shooting up.“People are allowed to purchase essentials three days a week, however there is panic buying. Some people are stocking bread, butter, noodles, half-cooked chapathi and vegetables, which has led to shortage in the market. Long queues were visible in front of certain supermarkets in the city on Thursday morning,” said Vinod, a resident of Kadavanthra.
However, delay in home delivery is cited as a reason for the rush at shops. “The police have blocked many roads, and shops are citing this as a reason for delay in home delivery. A popular online grocery store takes five days to deliver the products ordered online,” said Prasad, a resident of Elamkulam. Police officers on lockdown duty also accept that there is crowding at shops.
“It is true that there is crowding at shops. There is scarcity of vegetables and some food products. We are patrolling the area and urging people at shops to follow social distancing norms,” said a civil police officer. The police department is also facing staff crunch as many have tested Covid positive. Some police personnel have tested positive even after taking two doses of Covid vaccine. But the infection is not severe, said an officer.
“There is scarcity of vegetables as we are allowed to open the shops only three days a week. Many vendors have stopped selling perishables due to mounting losses. Though we deliver vegetables and milk at doorstep to customers, the delivery boys are scared of police. Many customers complain that they are not getting milk and fruits,” said Shameer, a vegetable dealer at Edappally.
“There is shortage of consumer products like soap and toothpaste as the distributor has stopped supply. Tea, coffee and certain food products are also in short supply. There was rush at our shop and we have tied ropes to control the crowd. The government should allow grocery and vegetable shops to open every day to ensure that people don’t jostle to purchase essentials,” said Noushad, a grocery shop owner at Karukappally in the city.
“The door delivery is getting delayed as the police have blocked roads at certain points and the delivery boys have to find alternative roads to reach the location. So we have now deployed delivery vans which will deliver products area wise. We have stopped taking orders for perishables like vegetables as the delivery is often delayed,” said Udayabhanu, an online grocery supplier.