Vegetable traders in Siliguri are grappling with substantial losses due to the recent Testa flash floods, which have paralysed the vital route to Sikkim. Traders are lamenting a staggering 60% drop in their business just ahead of the Durga Puja festival.
Shiv Kumar, the secretary of the Fruit and Vegetable Commission Agent Welfare Association of Siliguri Regulated Market, expressed deep concern about the dire situation in Siliguri. He explained that the Siliguri Regulated Market typically supplies Sikkim with vegetables for approximately eight months each year, averaging around 50 tonnes of daily vegetable exports to Sikkim. However, since last Wednesday, not a single truck has made its way to Sikkim. Consequently, the flow of vegetables such as cabbage, radish, and squash from Sikkim has also come to a halt. Babul Pal Chaudhary, a fruit trader, noted that daily sales of Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh to Sikkim have come to a standstill, along with a daily fish supply of around 2 tonnes. Karan Singh Jain, the president of the Galla Maal Mandi Naya Bazaar Trade Organisation, stated that the losses are now accumulating to Rs 5 crore per day, as 40% of the local trade relies on Sikkim.
In Gangtok and other parts of the flood-ravaged state, the prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed due to the severed link with Siliguri. In response, the Gangtok Municipal Corporation (GMC) has introduced a rate board at the Kanchenjunga Shopping Complex to regulate vegetable prices at Lall Bazaar.
Mayor Nell Bahadur Chettri emphasised that the fixed rates, valid for a day, may change based on market dynamics and transportation costs. He urged traders not to exploit the situation by inflating commodity prices. Mahesh Sharma, the joint controller of food and civil supplies, also issued a warning against hoarding and black marketing. Although prices have been fixed for potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and other vegetables, Sanjay Sherpa, the president of the All Sikkim Traders’ Association, pointed out a scarcity of essential commodities. Traders also noted that the alternative route via Kalimpong, while available, is significantly longer and would consequently result in higher transportation costs, further driving up commodity prices.
IN A NUTSHELL
• Daily Vegetable Exports: 50 Tonnes
• Daily Fish Exports: 2 Tonnes
• Percent of Trade Decline in Sikkim: 60%
• Percent of Trade Dependent on Sikkim: 40%
• Daily Sales Affected: Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
• Losses Incurred by Trade Bodies: Rs 5 crore a day