Veggies through delivery apps

09/04/2020, , T. RAMAKRISHNAN,CHENNAI

Delivery service personnel queuing up outside a vegetables and fruits outlet. M. Karunakaran

Chennai residents can now order and receive vegetables and fruits, being sold at the Koyambedu market, at their doorstep through delivery service apps such as Swiggy, Zomato and Dunzo.

Aimed at serving individual buyers, the apps will have an option for the Koyambedu market. A combo pack, having 14 to 16 vegetables and 5 fruits, can be ordered. The rates for the vegetables and fruits will be as per the decision of the Koyambedu Market Management Committee.

In other words, the people will be able to buy the commodities at wholesale rates, pointed out an official of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Department, adding that the daily rates will be hosted on the Chennai Metropolitan Development Agency’s (CMDA) website — http://www.cmdachennai.gov.in.

The idea is to offer a total of 18 vegetables and 8 fruits to the city residents, who are finding it difficult to get the commodities due to lockdown.

In the case of bulk purchasers, residents’ welfare associations covering 25 families or more, they can place orders through the CMDA’s website or by dialling 730 5050 541, 730 5050 542, 730 5050 543, 730 5050 544, 902 5653 376 or 044-24791133.

The CMDA will operate 50 vehicles initially, said an official release. Depending upon the response, the number of vehicles will be increased. Also, it has been planned to run vehicles for people living in tenements of the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board or areas where economically weaker sections of society and the middle class are living.

The door-delivery service has become possible thanks to an arrangement worked out by the CMDA, which supervises the working of the Koyambedu wholesale market complex. “What is disturbing us is that a large number of people continue to visit the Koyambedu market regularly for buying vegetables. We want to discourage this trend. This is why we have come up with this arrangement,” said the official of HUD department, under which comes CMDA.