PONDA: It’s almost a month and week passed now, the COVID-19 lockdown has snatched livelihood of many, but also opened the doors for them to several other activities.
It brought the life to standstill for many and snatched their livelihood. Many Goenkars, left with boredom and no option, made changes among themselves and also in their businesses to earn livelihood. It forced them to choose or opt to other activities including going back to cultivation of fallow paddy fields.
The entire roads in Ponda Taluka can be seen with roadside vendors selling various items to earn livelihood. Venktesh Naik, who is a flower vendor, opted to sell vegetables as there is no demand for flowers.
Many farmers at Marcaim and Kundaim, who had kept their paddy lands fallow, have decided to cultivate Kharif crop this season.
Ankush Gaude, a farmer at Marcaim, said, “As most of my family members doing jobs and remained busy for one or another reason their family paddy field remained fallow for last several years, but now after COVID-19 lockdown everyone are going in the field and doing agricultural work.”
An official at Ponda Agricultural Office said, “There has been demand from the farmers to harrow their fields and this time four extra tractors has been asked from the head office. Besides, seeds of various vegetables will be provided to the farmers. With many switching to their traditional occupation this time, besides paddy crops, Goans are likely to get locally produced vegetables.
Shailesh Khedekar, at Savoiverem, decided to encourage the local youth to grow vegetables in their fallow land in the village. He himself has also started growing vegetables.
Guru Borkar, a local from Borim said, “There is no difficulty in growing vegetables but we are also facing shortage of labourers.”
Earlier, the locals were shying away from sitting in market, foothpaths to sell their produce but COVID-19 lockdown transformed them too with many adopting to do those jobs which they earlier hated and only migrant used to do.
The Goans eying to government and white collar jobs in the offices left the Ponda market with most of the migrant vendors doing businesses but COVID-19 lockdown forced them to sell various produce such as mangoes, fruits, fish and whatever goods items they can sell in their respective villages at roadside.
The flower vendors lost the business due to no marriage ceremonies happening, and temple rituals suspended. However, not only the flower vendors, but many others, who lost their livelihood are struggling to earn a living by changing or switching to doing some or the other business after losing original one including selling of fish, vegetables, fruits, chilli, onions and grocery items.
During the past one month, the Ponda Market was shut, this helped the unemployed locals in every village to come with their agricultural produce and sell at the roadside in their respective villages.
There were crises among the fashionable youth also. Earlier, they used to cut their hairstyles in different styles in the saloons but now with the closure, the local youth didn’t stopped from doing it. For few days, they faced the problem, but now friends are cutting each other’s hair by trimmer machines and also trying and giving various styles.
Many house maids also remained unemployed.
