Prices of food and vegetables spike in Delhi after violence brings city to a standstill

• The prices of daily essentials including milk, flour and vegetables are skyrocketing amidst violence hit pockets of Delhi, amid curfews and attacks.
  
• This is especially affecting people in Jafrabad, Maujpur, Baburpur, Noor Ilahi, Yamuna Vihar.
  
• This is because the vendors are not willing to sell in these areas. Even worse, the cops are not allowing the residents to go to other localities to purchase essentials.
  
• Kirana stores in the area remained shut for over 72 hours as fear and tension draped the city.

In the last three days, North East Delhi has become a hotspot for violent clashes affecting life and property. Those who are not scrambling for life, are now left wanting for basics like food and drink.

The prices of daily essentials including milk, flour and vegetables are skyrocketing in the violence-hit pockets of Delhi, amidst curfews and attacks. Most local shops and kirana stores have remained shut for over 72 hours as fear and tension gripped the city.

On the other hand, those that are open are now running short of supplies. This is especially true with people in Jafrabad, Maujpur, Baburpur, Noor Ilahi, Yamuna Vihar. "I bought milk at ₹50 a litre which usually costs us ₹42 in this area. The shops in the lanes are closed and I had to walk 1 km to get it," Sulaiman, a resident of Jaffrabad’s Subhash Mohalla told PTI.

While some people had stocked up basic supplies and are ‘managing somehow,’ others are worried about sustaining their families. This is because the vendors are not willing to sell in these areas.

Even worse, the cops are not allowing the residents to travel to other localities either to purchase them. "Today I bought 1 kilo of onions for 90 rupees. There is no other option you have to give whatever price they quote," said a local resident of Azad Chowk.

Impact on wholesale markets

But this is not all. The wholesale markets have also witnessed a dip in trading. Delhi's Azadpur Mandi, which is the prominent vegetable market, saw a 25% slump in the trading of fruits and vegetables. Retailers are not able to reach the markets and are selling the left-over stock.

“The fruits that were having more stock included oranges, guavas, apples, watermelons, melons, but the stock of vegetables was less as compared to fruits,” IANS reported citing a member of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) at Azadpur Mandi.

"There is a slight effect on prices, but there is no significant impact on the new arrivals, because the closure of roads on the Delhi-Ghaziabad side will not affect anything as there is a steady inflow from Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other places. But the number of retail traders has come down, and the uptake is less in comparison to the arrivals,” he added.

In fact, the impact is deeper in the areas across the Yamuna river, where nearly 60% of the retail business in fruits and vegetables has been affected. Given that, wholesale prices also dropped by 10%.

While there has been no violence reported in the last 24 hours, normalcy is yet to resume in the affected areas. The death toll swelled to 28 on February 27, while nearly 200 people are reportedly injured.

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