Team Herald
PONDA: Heavy rains impacted the rates of the traditional matoli items, as devotees were forced to buy them at inflated prices.
It may be recalled that the heavy downpour badly affected agricultural crops and this situation led to a shortage of arecanut, coconut, banana leaves, which form the matoli tied above the Ganesh idol installed in each house.
However, these goods, which were sold at much higher rates, did not deter devotees from buying them and that too at double the price.
Hanumanth Naik in Ponda said arecanut, which was sold last year at Rs 500, was priced between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500 this year. On account of the shortage of these items, there was a huge demand as vendors sold small arecanut bunches. Further, due to shortage of coconut pluckers, the bunch of coconuts was priced between Rs 500 and 1000 depending on the size. A bundle of banana leaves and that too of poor quality were priced at Rs 500 this year as compared to Rs 250-300 last year.
