Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘janata curfew’, people across the city said they were stocking up on essentials due to uncertainty over further lockdowns in the Capital amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
Soon after the PM’s announcement on Thursday, people lined up outside supermarkets and local grocery stores to ensure they have enough “basic essentials” at home “before the shops run out of stock”.
Geetika Sengupta, a south Delhi resident, working in the private sector, said: “The Kendriya Bhandar was like a fish market. People were buying five-six bags of wheat, and groceries to last for at least three months. Looking at the huge stream of people and the high demand, even I stocked up on essentials that will last for around a week.”
Tempers running high
Bhavya D.N., a resident of Vasundhra Enclave who works in the public health sector, said: “Tempers are running high in markets with residents scrambling to stock up on non-perishable goods... grocers are working overtime to meet the demand. The other day, one shopkeeper snapped at a customer asked him to be patient.”
For Green Park resident Surveen Chopra, the need to “hoard” was slightly different. “I have three dogs and I regularly give them rotis as part of their diet. Now, with people panicking, I too had to hoard on flour, not as much for me but for my pets. We, as humans, can still vary our diet but what about our pets?” said Ms. Chopra.
Even as authorities maintain and continue to assure people that ration and essential items are available in the market, some people said that rumours of “stocks running out” were making the public go into a panic.
Sushila Kumari, a resident of Madanpur Khadar, said: “People are saying that markets will soon shutdown and we will not be able to buy basic items like rice and wheat. We are a huge family, we have stocked up enough food to last us 10 days.”
