After a masala market trader tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Vashi on Thursday decided to shut all markets except the grain market from Saturday. While the masala market has been closed since the start of the lockdown, the grain market traders will decide on Saturday if they want to shut the market from Monday.
Anil Chavan, secretary of APMC, said, “Associations from the fruit, vegetable, and onion and potato markets sent applications requesting closure due to rising cases of the novel coronavirus in Navi Mumbai. The administration then considering the growing fear among traders decided to shut the markets till further orders. Despite warnings, people have been crowding the market. Though shopping is more systematic now, everyone is living in fear.”
Ashok Walunj, secretary of the onion and potato market, said, “Many customers are from the slum areas. People across Mankhurd, Govandi, Chembur, Tilak Nagar also visit the market daily. With the virus spreading in the slums, we feel scared. So we requested the administration to keep the markets closed.”
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Meanwhile, farmers have been asked to send their stock directly to the grounds identified by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in Mumbai. Mr. Chavan said, “MMRDA’s exhibition ground in BKC, Octroi Naka in Mulund, Octroi Naka in Dahisar and Somaiya Ground in Sion are the four grounds identified jointly by the BMC and the APMC. Close to 350 trucks of goods are being there since March 20. Now, all the stock will be sent there. Smaller retailers in Navi Mumbai can procure their stock from there, while bigger retailers have their system in place where the produce reaches them directly.”
On Wednesday, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation had confirmed that the trader from the masala market who had tested positive stayed in Chunabhatti and had not visited APMC market in the last 20 days.