New Delhi [India], Mar 30 : The crowd at the vegetable markets in the national capital has thinned down as several inhabitants, including vendors and customers, have left for their hometowns due to the country-wide lockdown, which has been in place since March 24 to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Migrant and daily wage workers, who aren't able to find work, are even resorting to walking miles and miles on foot to their hometowns in the absence of trains and buses, even as some states, like Uttar Pradesh, pressed hevicles in services to ferry these poor men and women, children and old, to their villages.
Darya Ganj vegetable market is normally beeming with vendors, buyers, trucks and carts carryig vegetbales. But now, the market wears almost a deserted look.
"The number of people coming to the market to buy vegetables and fruits has drastically decreased. Many locals have left for their hometowns. What else can they do? There is little to no work here," Mohd Shaquil, a vendor, told here on Monday.
"We try to maintain a fair distance from the customers and urge others to wear masks and observe social distancing as well. However, people are not used to this, so many don't follow it," he added.
Another vendor, Mohd Arif, said that proper arrangement should be made to reduce the crowd at the market at any given time and ensure social distancing among people.
"We have to understand this lockdown in totality. Everyone has to eat. While there is awareness among everyone. What they can do about it or the precautions they can take depends on the resources they have," said a man, who was in the market to buy vegetables.
The country is under a 21-day lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has claimed the lives of 29 people and infected a total of 1071 people.
The government, in it's order, listed essential supplies icluding vegetables, fruits and other food supplies, under exemption from lockdown. The Central and state authorities have been ensuring people that there would be continuous supply of food items and medicines.
( With inputs from ANI )