Thaindian News

New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS) After monsoon, it’s raining woes for Delhiites as they haggle with vendors over spiralling vegetable prices.

Prices of vegetables in the capital city have increased because of an overstretched monsoon season, floods in north India and the Commonwealth Games beginning Sunday.

The Delhi Police has restricted entry of vegetable-laden trucks into Azad Pur Mandi during the Oct 3-14 Games. The traffic restrictions have pushed vegetable prices upward.

The Azad Pur Mandi is a prominent wholesale market for traders and distributors operating in Delhi.

Prices of vegetables such as potato, tomato, ladyfinger, gourd and pumpkin have seen nearly 50 percent rise.

“We are buying vegetables at high prices from the suppliers,” said Jeevan Kumar, a vegetable trader.

The frequency of vegetable-carrier trucks has also reduced because of the enforced restrictions.

“Suppliers from Uttar Pradesh and other states have raised rates because they are having a bad production after floods. Also, supply has decreased because of lesser number of trucks entering the mandi,” Kumar added.

In the cycle of increase, local vegetable sellers have also raised their slabs for consumers.

“Earlier I used to buy a week’s vegetables for Rs.250. Now it costs me more than Rs.350,” said Sunita Mattoo, a resident of Kamla Nagar in north Delhi.

The vendors are also facing difficulties to sell their stocks.

“I used to buy tomatoes at Rs.15 per kg. Now I have to pay double for a kg. Vendors say they are buying vegetables at higher prices from the mandi, so the prices have increased,” Vignesh Desai, a resident of RK Puram, told IANS.

Shopkeepers’ association of Lajpat Nagar market, Karol Bagh, Kamla Nagar, South Extension and other localities have agreed to close down shops Oct 3 when the Games begin.