Hyderabad: Empty shelves at supermarkets worry customers

Hyderabad: Now that the lockdown is going to be extended till April 30, it's time for the State Government to work out a route map to ensure that there is no shortage of essential commodities.

The panic buying that was resorted to by people when the first lockdown was announced has resulted in the supermarkets and shops run out of stock.

The restrictions imposed by the Centre has resulted in only 25 per cent of the movement of trucks carrying essential commodities. Problems like lack of 'hamalis' to load and unload the goods has also caused severe problem.

A visit to any supermarket shows shelves being empty as they could not get the stocks replenished. Their inventory has very few items. In most of the supermarkets even fabric softners, snack items, red chillies and incense sticks are not available.

Items like Dettol and hand sanitisers have become rare commodities. There is also shortage of pulses.

All that is easily available in supermarkets are vegetables. Though with e-commerce has started limited operations, there too is shortage of inventory.

Either the goods one wants are not available and if you select from among what is available, finding a delivery slot is becoming difficult. By the time a slot is found, some of the goods in the cart are not available.

In order to keep the customer base in tact, as and when they get some stock, some of the big supermarkets are sending daily messages to the customers saying, "Dear customer our shelves are now stocked for you with daily essentials, biscuits, snacks and personal care products, fresh fruits and veggies. We are constantly working towards providing you a safe and clean shopping experience."

According to traders while all passenger, mail and express train services have been suspended during the lockdown period, freight trains, special parcel trains and goods trucks are plying across the country to maintain the supply of essential items.

Yet basic items like rice and pulses are fast flying off the shelves at many stores, much to the dismay of the common people.