Pune: The State-wide strike on January 3 over the Koregaon-Bhima incident paralysed life in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Autorickshaws, vegetable markets and garages in Pimpri-Chinchwad were shut, which affected their business to a great extent. Furthermore, vegetable vendors had to throw away perishable vegetables in huge amounts.
Heavy losses
According to Manik Surse, President of Khanderai Bhaji Mandai, Akurdi (Akurdi Vegetable Market), the vegetable market receives around Rs 10 lakh worth of vegetables on a daily basis and the turnover every day amounts to Rs 11 to 12 lakh. However, on Wednesday, the vegetable market faced a loss of Rs 5 to 6 lakh and, on Thursday, only Rs 2 lakh worth of vegetables were purchased.
Similarly, Sunil Kudale, President of Lal Bahadur Shastri Bhaji Mandai Vyapari Sanghatna (Pimpri Vegetable Market), said, “On Wednesday, we faced a loss of Rs 3 to 4 lakh. Now, the vegetable vendors are selling vegetables at one-fourth the price.”
Huge wastage of vegetables
Ajinkya Kudale, vegetable vendor at Pimpri Vegetable Market, said, “Numerous gunny bags filled with vegetables were thrown away as they got spoilt. A filled gunny bag weighs around 40 kg. Out of 22 gunny bags of carrots, only four were good enough to be sold. Out of 11 gunny bags of cucumber, only seven bags were of saleable quality. Same was the case with most other vegetables as well.”
Autorickshaw drivers also affected
Along with vegetable vendors, rickshaws and local garages also suffered due to the strike. Sunil Khot, a rickshaw driver from Pimpri-Chinchwad, said, “We couldn’t go out due to the strike. Even the CNG station was closed. Even today, people are mostly travelling in their own vehicles and our business is hit.”
Phulchand Tatre, owner of Shravan Auto Garaje, said, “We get around three to four vehicles at least every day, but since the past three days, our business has gone down.”
