The almost continuous rains during the Holy Month of Ramzaan has taken its toll on the roadside vendors and hawkers businesses, the worst affected being the fruits sellers.
Muslims break their daily fast by consuming dates ‘khajoor’ and fruits but the incessant rains has made the people opt for fried snacks, letting the fruits sellers high and dry.
According to conservative estimates, the fruits sellers business has plummeted by 50-60 per cent compared to the same month last year.
With Eid around the corner, the fruit vendors are hoping for at least the last two days of Ramzaan to remain dry, so that they might make up for some losses.
According to National Hawker Federation president, Md Inayat Ali, more than fifty thousand hawkers have been affected due to the incessant rain during business times.
“If compared to last year, the fruit business should have generated revenue of nearly Rs 200 crore by this time, but it has not even crossed one Rs 100 crore. The business drastically dropped by 60 per cent owing to rains as it is forcing shoppers to stay indoors,” pointed out NHF president Md Inayat Ali.
Another reason for the drop in sales of fruits are suspected to be the rumours floating around the city that the viral fevers and common cold, cough are due to consumption of unseasonal fruits like watermelon, pineapple etc which are sold aplenty.
The rains have also seen an increase in steaming hot snacks such as ‘haleem’ and the Arabian ‘Ghava’.