PUNE: Online services that deliver vegetables and groceries are gradually coming back to life. The news will bring relief to the citizens who are reluctant to go out during the coronavirus lockdown or were already dependent on it.
BigBasket and Amazon have finally resumed their service in Pune. At the same time, Grofers hopes to resume in a day or two after getting necessary permissions.
On its Twitter handle, BigBasket notified that it is operational in the city and priority for delivery will be given to the customers who have already paid for the order. Amazon made a similar announcement through Twitter.
Meanwhile, shops across the city are now running out of grocery and vegetable supply due to panic buying by citizens in the last couple of days
The rates of vegetables are still high. Ankita Parakh, a resident of Salunkhe Vihar, said very few vegetable shops are open, and the variety of green vegetables is also limited.
“I bought potatoes for Rs 60 per kg while okra was Rs 120 per kg,” she said.
The variety was not a problem for Deepti Roy in Pimpri, who said shops are selling veggies at a higher rate.
The supply of vegetable remains affected in several areas of the city on Saturday. Shruti Joshi, a Singhad Road resident, said, “Vegetables supply was comparatively less. Even grocery stores are running out of the stock.”
Ketan Ahuja, a grocery shop owner in Model Colony, revealed that frozen food has been in high demand as well.
“We have been selling existing items such as butter, pulses, oil, but at the same time due to shortage of fresh vegetable in our area there has been high demands of frozen vegetable items,” said Ahuja before adding that frozen food is also in short supply.
“Logistical issues are preventing shop owners from procuring more supplies to meet the demand”, said Anandi Ghodmare who enquired about replenishment from her local grocers in Model Colony.
However, the traders association of Market Yard, Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Aadte Association will resume their market on April 1.
Vilas Bhujbal, president of the association, said, “The traders will not be there in the Market yard till March 31 and will resume only on April 1.”
However, APMC will remain operational on Sunday, and direct selling of vegetables will be done in which traders will not participate.
APMC has also made several arrangements to control the crowd. There will be trading of vegetables on one day and trading of potatoes, onions and fruits on another day.