Team Herald
Panjim: Chaotic scenes prevailed across the capital city on Thursday as people scrambled to stock up on essentials ahead of the second phase of three-day “complete lockdown” that began after 8.00pm and goes on until Sunday.
The City Municipal market, super markets and other shops witnessed an unprecedented large number of panicked customers, who feared the possible extension of the lockdown in the coming week.
Physical distancing norms were compromised and the mandate of wearing masks and sanitizing themselves were ignored as people were busy shopping for essentials. Even the heavy rains that lashed the State since morning failed to disturb this activity.
With only a day to stock up before the night curfew deadline, people thronged the shops from early morning. While customers complained that they were being overcharged by the shopkeepers, including fruits and vegetable vendors; the sellers, on the other hand, ran out of stock. Some of the vendors finished their stock by afternoon while some others were out of stock by Thursday evening.
“We have heard that the lockdown may be extended after Sunday. We cannot take risks. It is important that all essentials are stocked up. We have to be prepared to cope up with the situation,” said Govind Kamat, a customer.
In wake of the rising COVID-19 cases and deaths, the govt announced a three-day complete lockdown in the State from Thursday 8.00pm to Monday, July 20, 6.00am; while the Janata Curfew from 8.00pm to 6.00am will be in force till August 10.
A grocery shop owner from the market said, “I was running out of stock since morning itself. People had lined up since 7.00am outside the shop to buy all essentials. People have purchased items not less than 3-5 kgs. We were also unable to control the crowd”.
The lines outside supermarkets and shops were visible even till late evening. “Almost 75 per cent essential stock is over. We will have to wait for new stock till Monday only, after which, we will be able to open the shop post lockdown,” a city based supermarket manager said.
Even the vegetable and fruit vendors saw their stock getting over in no time. “It is good that the stock is almost over. Being perishable items, they would have gotten spoiled and we would have suffered losses,” Karim, a vegetable vendor explained.
The horticulture outlets, milk stores, petrol pumps also witnessed non-stop crowds till late evening. However, most of them made sure that they reached their houses before the Janata Curfew came into force.
The mad rush of people saw heavy traffic jams with police manning the situation.