Lockdown in Mumbai: Vegetable, grocery vendors allowed to set up shop inside housing societies

MUMBAI: In line with the cooperative departments’ directive to housing societies to disallow its members to step out unless it is an emergency, several societies have got their neighbourhood vegetable and grocery vendors to set up shop in their building premises.
Country Park co-operative housing society, a cluster of 12 buildings in Borivli (E), allowed vendors to pitch their tents in the society to ensure a steady supply of fresh ‘bhaaji’ and milk for its over 500 residents.
Kunal Mainkar and Karan Menon, young entrepreneurs who reside at Country Park, planned the ‘vegetables-at-your-doorstep’ idea after consulting senior members of the society. “The vendors come into the society armed with masks, gloves, and a bottle of sanitiser. Residents are asked to form a queue with distance between them as prescribed by WHO,” said Menon.
A rate card is on a board fixed next to the vegetable stall. “There is no haggling over prices, no hard bargaining. The idea is to ensure that people remain indoors. We thought this was the best way to cooperate with the police,” Menon added. The milkman does brisk business, and a bread-and-egg vendor has also joined the setup.
At Ekta Meadows society in Borivli (E), a vegetable stall was arranged on Monday to ensure that residents do not try to leave the premises with excuses. Time slots were marked for each wing to make their purchases, said society residents. Circles were marked near the stall to maintain a distance between buyers. Only two people were allowed inside the lift at a time to carry their vegetables up. Residents were warned that any deviance from the instructions given or any kind of mob behaviour would mean the entire process would be stopped.
A rate card was made available by the vendor in advance. Security guards called one person per flat one by one to make their purchase. Wearing a mask and gloves, and using sanitiser before and after buying was made mandatory.