Flower and vegetable markets in the district, that usually see a flurry of activities during Onam celebrations in neighbouring Kerala, are likely to suffer heavy loss this year as vehicles carrying these produces are stranded at Puliyarai on the Tirunelveli – Kerala border owing to continuing landslides along the ghat road.
Vegetable markets at Nainarkulam in Tirunelveli, Paavoorchathram and Kaavalkinaru in the district used to enjoy brisk business as these markets would supply over a hundred tonnes of fruits and vegetables everyday to various destinations in Kerala during Onam celebrations. Similarly, flower traders of Thovalai near Nagercoil would make the Onam celebrations in Kerala more colourful with over a hundred tonnes of flowers being supplied there.
In other words, it would be a windfall for the fruit, vegetable and flower traders of Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts during ‘Onam season’.
Since the neighbouring State is now struggling to keep itself afloat in the unprecedented flood triggered by continuing torrential rain over the past one week, sale of fruits, vegetables and flowers has come to a standstill.
Even as traders were sending these farm produces in smaller vehicles to destinations amidst great difficulty after rain wrecked havoc, the business came to a grinding halt after serious landslips blocked the ghat road connecting Puliyarai on Tirunelveli and Kollam in Kerala.
Based on a request from Kollam District Collector, Shilpa Prabhakar Satish, Tirunelveli Collector, suspended vehicle movement via the ghat road beyond Puliyarai. Consequently, all fruit and vegetable-laden vehicles were stopped at Puliyarai.
“We used to send 40 tonnes of fruits and vegetables to various destinations in Kerala everyday. Since the vehicular traffic remains suspended, the vehicles that left ‘Perunthalaivai Kamarajar Vegetable Market’ at Pavoorchathram for the Kerala markets on Wednesday returned to our shops on Thursday after waiting indefinitely at Puliyarai. While a few of the vehicles were unloaded, a few others went to Kerala via Nagaercoil with great difficulty and they reached their destinations only on Friday,” says K. Kutralingam, one of the leading wholesale vegetable traders of the Paavoorchathram market.
“The loss we’re going to suffer this year will be hefty”.
The fruits and vegetable markets of Nainarkulam and Kaavalkinaru are also staring at huge loss this year.
“With great difficulty, we were sending vegetables in lesser number of vehicles to the Kerala market, where there was no sale literally. And, we were forced to suspend the business as the flood situation remains grim in Kerala. The Kerala Government itself has decided to suspend ‘Onam’ celebrations this year as its citizens are in deep trouble. So it will have adverse impact on us and we’re sure to suffer hefty loss this year,” said Murugan of Kamarajar Vegetable Market at Kaavalkinaru.
Situation is still worse in the Thovalai flower market. “Flowers, which are an integral part of ‘Onam’ celebrations, cannot be sent to Kerala and no trader from Kerala is ready come to our market this year owing to floods. The traders, who make big money every year during ‘Onam’ celebrations are in deep trouble,” said Subramanian of Thovalai flower market.
