BELAGAVI
Wholesale vegetable traders and farmers from Belagavi have called for an indefinite bandh from Tuesday, to protest against the indifferent attitude of district authorities in shifting the wholesale vegetable market to its original venue and venting out their anger due to losses incurred due to Cyclone Tauktae on Sunday.
The decision which was taken during a meeting of traders and farmers on Monday is likely to affect supply of wholesale vegetables to Goa for next couple of days.
Two coolies were reportedly hurt during the Sunday cyclone after temporary vegetable sheds were damaged and caused heavy losses to vegetables.
Heavy cyclonic rains that lashed Belagavi on Sunday had adversely affected the wholesale vegetable market in Belagavi.
Despite cheaper rates due to good yield of vegetables, the farmers had to throw away the vegetables in open as both the wholesale vegetable markets at RTO Circle, Kanbargi and C P Ed college ground were inundated.
Unable to load the vegetables under hostile situation, farmers were forced to dump the vegetables on the open grounds.
“The traders went through a tough time on Sunday as the entire market was filled with muck and water. The coolies were also reluctant to work in the rains as they were afraid of getting cough and cold due to getting wet in the rain. The situation was very pathetic. The farmers had no option but to dump the vegetables leaving them to rot,” said Diwakar Patil, President of the Belgaum Wholesale Vegetables Merchants Association.
He added that vehicles to Goa could not be loaded on Sunday.
The traders complained that the limited timing of four hours allotted by authorities from 6 am to 10 am was insufficient to carry out trading activities. Division of the wholesale market at two places has added to their woes further, while the cyclone on Sunday further worsened their conditions.
“Coolies feared that if they get cough and cold, they would definitely test positive for Covid, and if admitted, they will not afford hospitalisation. Hence, they preferred not to work on Sunday, due to which vegetables were dumped,” Patil added.
