Panic buying in view of lockdown

Huge rush in grocery shops, petrol pumps

Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Apr 29: With Government announcing lockdown in 11 districts of J&K UT from today evening to coming Monday, the people started panic buying from early this morning. As uncertainty loomed large, there was huge rush in the markets with traffic jams seen every where in the Jammu city and its outskirts as people had come out of their homes to make necessary purchases.
The rush was not only seen on grocery, bakery shops, milk vendors vegetable and fruit sellers in different parts of city and its outskirts but on petrol pumps as well where two and four wheelers were seen in queues with people totally uncertain about the future plan of Government leading to panic buying.
At various petrol pumps, there was a huge rush of four wheelers, two wheelers and other heavy vehicles with consumers busy in filling the tanks of their vehicles as they were not certain whether petrol pumps will too function and remain open during lockdown period or not. They had wider apprehension that lockdown may be extended for more days in view of increasing spread of dreaded virus across the country as well as J&K.
The huge traffic jams were seen in Janipur area right from Roop Nagar to New Plot, Sarwal, Bakshi Nagar, Shakti Nagar, Old City and other areas with people storing the essential commodities and consumer goods for daily use. The traffic police in various chowks and on various routes was seen busy in controlling the rush. As the marriage season has also started, the people going to solemnize their marriage ceremonies in the next one week had also ventured out in the markets to make essential purchasing in view of the announcement of lockdown.
When this reporter asked some owners of two and four wheelers who were standing in a queue in front of Petrol pump on the outskirts of the city that why are they so particular to make the tanks of their vehicles full, they replied that there is total uncertainty and they don’t know how long the lockdown will remain. In view of the alarming rise in the pandemic there is every likelihood that it can continue for more time like last year. “We will fill the tanks of our vehicles so that we are not put to any problem in case of emergency”, they added.
Even when a salesman at a petrol pump told them that the pumps will remain open during the lockdown and the people can get petrol and diesel for their vehicles during that period too, they did not agree and pressed for filling the tanks of their vehicles.
Same rush was seen in vegetable markets at fruit sellers, grocery shops, business marts, confectionary and sweet shops also where people in large numbers were making purchases for the items of their daily use. Some people were seen storing pulses, potatoes and onions at grocery shops saying that in view of non availability of vegetables they can use the same.
As the news of lockdown was announced some people even cancelled the dinners and lunch of their marriage parties in different areas and issued advertisements in news papers, electronic and Social Media to inform their friends and relatives about the cancellations. When such families were asked that why they had cancelled the marriage parties their simple reply was that they don’t want that both guests and hosts should be put to any inconvenience due to lockdown hence they have decided to cancel the function.
Some families said they were put to huge loss as they had made all arrangements for solemnization of marriage ceremonies, booked halls and caterers on huge amount by giving them the advance money but this all has gone waste. Under the prevailing situation there was no alternative except to cancel the functions and solemnize marriages in a simple way, they added.
After coming to know about the lockdown some people whose marriage were going to be solemnized this week even changed the venue from marriage halls to their residential houses now. The owners of the marriage halls where the people cancelled their parties were also perturbed and dejected as they too were put to a loss with the cancellation of functions.
An owner of a grand marriage hall in outskirts of the city said that they had suffered a huge loss due to lockdown last year as all marriages were cancelled in peak season last year and after the situation turned a bit better, the religious calendar did not allow the solemnization of marriages from December to ending April as the period was not considered a good omen. Now when the season of marriages had started, the Coronavirus gripped the nation and lockdown was again enforced hitting us badly, he added.