The Hindu Business Line : In commercial capital, essential items become scarce

WHEN boards are put up in shops saying that only two bottles of water will be sold per person, it is evident that food supplies are yet to be normalised in rain-drenched Mumbai.

Consumers were allowed to buy only two (one-litre) bottles of water each, said a resident of Vashi, on the northern suburbs of Mumbai. It could be because the mall was short on supply or to prevent people from hoarding, he said. Water supply in residential areas such as Vashi, on the outer-fringes of the city, has not yet been normalised.

The nervous and rumour-filled state that the residents of the city were living in became apparent as police announced over public address systems urging people to stay indoors on Sunday. Several commuters who waded home through the waters last week panicked again when cellphone messages flashed: "To prevent Leptorpirosis, those who walked through water should take Doxycycline, 200 mg. Single dose." Doctors had to step in to allay these fears.

Meanwhile, fruits, vegetables and other essential items, including medicines were in short supply, as godowns storing these items were under water, a representative of the trading community told Business Line.

Medicine-godowns at Bhiwandi were completely washed out by rains and according to a trade representative, it would take at least 10 days to restore normal supplies. Industry estimates put damages at these godowns between Rs 200 crore and Rs 1,000 crore. "We are trying to bring in supplies from Pune or Nagpur, but that will take another four or five days because roads are inaccessible. Till then, there will be a shortage," he said.

Vegetable prices have doubled in some parts of the city, with supply coming under pressure, he said. An estimated Rs 25 crore worth of fruits and vegetables have been destroyed by the rains, he added. Shops in these areas too were affected by the floods. So regular ration items that they store have been destroyed. These are small "one or two-man shows" and they may not even be insured, he points out.

Oil godowns in low-lying suburban areas north of Dadar, Mahim, Kalina have also been affected, he said. However, edible oil prices were steady, as compared to last Monday. Palm oil, for instance, was between Rs 360 and Rs 365 per 10 kg and peanut oil was at Rs 485 - 500 for 10 kg, he said.

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