Wholesale vegetable market at Amargol APMC yard in the city on Friday witnessed a mad rush and chaos, forcing the police to wield batons to disperse the crowd.
The police resorted to lathi-charge when hundreds of people, including the vendors, traders, farmers and retain buyers caught breaching social distancing, an infection control measure introduced in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.
After the police started wielding lathis to disperse crowds, the vendors and farmers fled the scene, abandoning the vegetables/produce. Stray cattle had a feast, while a few people grabbed the opportunity that came their way and made away with vegetables for free.
Farmers and traders complained that they incurred huge loss as vegetables could not be sold due to the lathi-charge.
Closing down regular vegetable markets at Janata Bazaar, Durgadabail, Sarafgatti, Ganeshpet, Hirepet, and Old Hubballi, and those in Dharwad, the Hubballi-Dharwad Mahanagara Palike (HDMP) arranged makeshift markets at Nehru Stadium, Eidgah Maidan, Old Bus Stand, New Bus Stand, Heggeri ground, and Settlement ground in Hubballi.
Panic-stricken people were seen breaching social distancing, despite the fact that distance boxes were marked at all makeshift markets. The police had a torrid time in forcing the people in maintaining distance. Three hours of time was given for the business at these retail
markets.
Later in the day, Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar inspected APMC vegetable market and Nehru Stadium, along with Deputy Commissioner Deepa Cholan and other officials.
He instructed the officials to decentralise vegetable markets, to avoid crowding, and take steps to make retailers supply vegetables to different localities, using mini-goods vehicles or push-carts.
Officials are instructed to take steps to arrange a wholesale vegetable market at different places at the APMC yard itself, to avoid crowding. Retailers should supply vegetables to all localities in all wards, Shettar added.