Many vegetable mandis in the country have emerged as the new COVID hotspots amid this lockdown. So far, several coronavirus-infected patients have emerged from vegetable mandis in several states. As a result of this, vegetable mandis are being closed in view of the growing threat of infection in some cities.
On May 5, the administration decided to close Gurugram’s largest Khandsa vegetable mandi after nine corona cases were reported in a single day. Thereafter, 72 more people associated with the market were screened, out of which a total of 19 corona-infected patients were detected. More reports are yet to come.
Like Gurugram, the Navin Subzi Mandi in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh also reported 24 corona-infected cases in a single day on May 5. Thereafter, the district administration had decided to close the mandi. Due to the fact that vegetables and fruits are also supplied from these vegetable markets to other states, a large chain of corona-infected patients may be uncovered emanating from the vegetable mandi.
A similar situation is coming up in other states too. According to the media reports, more vigilance is being maintained on the part of the district administration following the case of a papaya trader being infected with corona in the Muhana fruit vegetable market of Rajasthan on May 8. Earlier, Bholanath, who worked in the country’s largest Azadpur Mandi in Delhi, had died of coronavirus. Thereafter, four patients tested to be corona-positive during the investigation conducted in the mandi. The resulting atmosphere of fear has prevented people from coming to the mandi.
The latest case has come from the Anaaj mandi in Panipat district of Haryana where two youngsters were found infected with corona on May 8. Thereafter, the mandi was sanitised. Similar cases of corona-infected patients from mandis in other cities are also coming up. In Uttar Pradesh, two corona-positive patients have also surfaced at the Kaisarbagh vegetable mandi in the capital Lucknow and 11 in the vegetable mandi in Hapur district.
In the vegetable mandis, these conditions were caused due to the sudden rush despite the lockdown, defying, blatantly, all rules on social distancing. The rules of lockdown in the mandis were entirely overlooked when farmers, labourers, wholesalers, traders and other people associated with the vegetable mandi had come together. In the mandis, people reached without masks and necessary precautions. A glimpse of this was also seen in the Navin Galla Mandi in Lucknow, where a huge crowd of people was noticed like normal days.
Rinku Sonker, the president of the Fruit and Vegetable Association at Navin Galla Mandi, informed: “There were problems due to the sudden overcrowding in the mandi due to farmers, traders, labourers and vehicles coming from outside. But in collaboration with the district administration and mandi committee, different time zones have now been fixed for those selling fruits and vegetables in the mandi. The vegetable mandi functions from 10 am to 5 pm, the fruit mandi from 9 am to 12 pm and a separate mandi for watermelon/melon from 12 am to 4 pm.”
Rinku explained: “For security reasons, cameras have been installed at barricading and in different places in the mandi. Now, it is mandatory to wear masks and people are checked for it. In addition, people working at the to mandi are being screened for corona through camps within the mandi. All vehicles going from mandi to other cities have been banned.”
A similar situation cropped up in the vegetable mandis of Maharashtra, about 1,400 kms away from Lucknow, where it was decided to close several mandis as the risk of the spread of corona infection had increased with the crowds. The Agricultural Produce Mandi Committee (APMC) of Pune is also closed due to this for several days.
Ram Gadwe, the president of the Vegetable Growers Association of India, said: “The mandi committee people had worked closely with the authorities after the mandis were closed following overcrowding in Maharashtra. We have built collection centres in many places from where the FPO (Food Product Order) is procuring from the farmers. Besides, we have arranged for the delivery of fruits and vegetables to all housing societies so that people need not come to the mandi.”
He added: “But it is not so in other states. Not every farmer can reach the mandi, so it is imperative to set up collection centres in all villages where the produce is purchased directly from the farmers and delivered to the mandis through transport, as well as the large open spaces to be used for setting up mandis to facilitate social distancing. Online home delivery should also be promoted.”
The closure of mandis is also affecting the arrivals of vegetables and fruits. According to the Vegetable Growers Association of India, about 50 per cent of the arrivals of vegetables and fruits have been affected, while the farmers are suffering a major loss due to ban on vehicles from many places to other states and cities.
Sopan Kanchan, the president of the Grape Growers Association of India, informed: “The watermelon that used to fetch us Rs 8-15 every year is not even selling for Rs 5 this time. The whole system of mandis is upset. If the mandis remain closed, where the trader will do his storage, the same is the state of vegetables.”
He added: “Exports have been discontinued. The mandis have been closed. At present, onions are not getting even Rs 5 a kilo. Even in the villages, the weekly market has also been closed in many places. If the farmer does not get the money, how would he produce further? Its impact will be visible in the coming time.”
At present, people associated with vegetable mandis are facing a major risk of coronavirus. In Uttar Pradesh, 10 vegetable vendors were also found infected with corona on May 5 in Agra. A team of health department and police are screening vegetable vendors at large-scale. Despite the lockdown, the corona infection cases emerging from the vegetable mandis can pose a huge problem.
