Big rush at vegetable markets, Uzhavar Santhai ahead of Janata Curfew

TNN | Mar 22, 2020, 04.44 AM IST

Trichy: Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for observing a ‘Janata curfew’ on Sunday, residents in city flocked the vegetable markets including the Uzhavar Santhai, Gandhi Market to buy vegetables and essentials. Meanwhile, most of the eateries in Trichy have declared holiday till March 31.

Except for essentials, the government has ordered to close down all commercial establishments. Traders and vegetable vendors have promised to observe the curfew on Sunday. Agriculture marketing officials also announced that Uzhavar Santhai would down shutters on Sunday.

In order to avert scarcity of essentials, people thronged all the Uzhavar Santhai located in seven places in the district, Gandhi Market as well as various local vegetable markets to stock vegetables, greens and fruits.

To cater to the needs of customers, all the Uzhavar Santhai in the city were kept open till afternoon, skipping evening sales. A large number of people gathered at the markets in Tennur Anna Nagar, KK Nagar, Lalgudi to purchase things.

According to Gandhi Market vendors, around 2,000 wholesale mandis are there exclusively for vegetables, onion, potato, fruits and banana. As per the call made by the PM, they have decided to close down all the mandis and retail shops in the market. Several customers from the city and from the outskirts of the city arrived at the market till late in the evening.

“I have never seen such a huge crowd even during festivals in the recent past,” S Ramesh, a vegetable vendor in Gandhi Market, said.