This story is from March 21, 2020

Businesses, big and small, take a hit in Hubballi-Dharwad

The deafening silence on a Friday afternoon on Karwar Road, a bustling thoroughfare lined by commercial establishments, big and small, served as an eerie testament to the fear of contracting the novel coronavirus or Covid-19 infection has clasped the twin cities in its vice-like grip. There were barely any customers at the several eateries on the street, many of which are immensely popular among the residents. In addition to restaurants, petrol bunks have sustained heavy losses in the past few days with reduced vehicular movement on the streets. ​
Businesses, big and small, take a hit in Hubballi-Dharwad
Representative image
HUBBALLI: The deafening silence on a Friday afternoon on Karwar Road, a bustling thoroughfare lined by commercial establishments, big and small, served as an eerie testament to the fear of contracting the novel coronavirus or Covid-19 infection has clasped the twin cities in its vice-like grip. There were barely any customers at the several eateries on the street, many of which are immensely popular among the residents.
In addition to restaurants, petrol bunks have sustained heavy losses in the past few days with reduced vehicular movement on the streets.
Interestingly, despite an atmosphere of uncertain dread prevailing in the twin cities, most residents, in adherence to the directions and pleas of the district administration, and the state and central governments, refrained from crowding hospitals on Friday.
The small businesses, however, are the ones affected the most because of the restrictions. Gauri Rajput, who runs a beauty parlour in Hubballi, said that she had had to shut her store for the past week owing to her clients refusing to turn up for fear of contracting the infection.
Data with the Karnataka Petroleum Dealers’ Association shows that there are as many as 95 bunks across the twin cities, nearly all of which have registered a downturn in business in the past week.
President of the association PS Mirjankar, who owns a petrol bunk in Hubballi, confirmed to TOI that the sale of petrol at his bunk had reduced to 2,500 litres per day, on average, in the past week, from 3,200 litres per day earlier. “Sale of diesel has also been affected at my bunk. Where I would sell 3,000 litres of diesel per day, the figure has fallen to 2,000 litres now,” he added.
President of the Hubballi Autorickshaw Drivers and Owners’ Association Shekharayya Matpathi said that the novel coronavirus had made their life miserable. “Lack of business has compelled us to earn our living by working in construction, painting and other daily wage labour,” said Matpathi, adding that the drivers were unable to earn as little as Rs 50 riding autos every day.
He said that he had only one ride on Friday, and all he could earn from that one was Rs 30.
Meanwhile, with most people preferring to stay indoors and cook their own food, patronage of restaurants has fallen drastically. The Savaji Hotels in Hubballi, renowned for their mouthwatering mutton delicacies, have registered a 50% decline in business in the past week. The Nakod Savaji Hotel in Ullagaddi Oni, a favourite haunt among meat lovers in the twin cities, said that, the number of mutton meals he sold had fallen from 200 to 100 or less in the past few days.
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