Lockdown Blues: Auto Drivers Turn Vegetable Vendors In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Struggling to meet the daily needs of their family amid the lockdown against COVID-19, some auto-rickshaw drivers in the city have taken to selling vegetables as an alternative source of income.

Bigyan Prabha Gantayat is one such auto-rickshaw driver who now sells vegetables near Satya Nagar flyover.

“The owner of the auto-rickshaw took away the vehicle from me after the lockdown was imposed. Though some voluntary organisations offered dry food and ration for some days, it was not sufficient and I had to do something to make ends meet for my family,” a report in New Indian Express quoted Gantayat as saying.

Gantayat said he manages to earn Rs 200 to Rs 300 a day by selling vegetables. “Though it is only half of what I used to earn driving an auto-rickshaw, I have to understand the situation and adjust,” he added.

Basant Kumar Bisoyi is another auto driver who is now selling vegetables on a city street for a living. “Apart from making ends meet, I also have a loan to repay for which I decided to sell vegetables,” said Bisoyi, the sole bread-earner of his family.

Bisoyi said many of his friends have taken to selling fruits, groceries and other essentials in different localities to eke out a living during the lockdown.