SHILLONG: With Shillong witnessing a near total shutdown since violence erupted at Iew Mawlong on Thursday evening, residents of the city have been forced to bear the brunt of an abnormal rise in the price of essential commodities, especially vegetables and fruits.
Iewduh, the largest commercial market in the state, has remained shut since Friday and with fresh supplies not reaching the city, daily essentials like tomatoes and potatoes are selling at Rs 80 and Rs 30 per kg respectively, which is double the normal price.
At the Laitumkhrah market on Saturday, tomato was being sold at Rs 80/kg, cucumber at Rs 60/kg, beans and green peas touched Rs 120/kg while cabbage sold at Rs 70/kg.
“Price of all vegetables has gone up by Rs 20-40. If the curfew continues, the price will rise further,” said a buyer at Rilbong market where the price of green peas shot up overnight from Rs 60/kg to Rs 100/kg.
A resident of Bishnupur said vegetables were costly near his house and he had to go all the way to Jail Road market only to be disappointed.
“I bought tomatoes for Rs 80. The usual price is Rs 20/kg. I bought cauliflower from Laban market yesterday (on Friday) for Rs 80. It could not have been more than Rs 40/kg,” he said.
A group of youth from other states, all students staying in Laitumkhrah, said they were surviving on packaged food and ready-to-eat meals. “There is no letdown in violence and it is affecting people like us who have to manage with limited resources,” said a student from Nagaland while expressing surprise at the sudden change of mood in Shillong, which otherwise is “so cool”.
