GUWAHATI, Dec 13: People in Guwahati are facing a severe shortage of groceries, fuel and other essentials as the indefinite curfew clamped in the city continues to remain in place.
Essential commodities and grocery supplies are fast disappearing from homes of many Guwahati residents as shops have remained closed since curfew was clamped on Wednesday evening.
Amid the uneasy calm, several shops opened in the morning despite curfew being in place but the shelves emptied in no time as people began a mad rush to stock essential commodities.
“Essentials are fast running out in my house. I had to stock them urgently. I heard that a few shops were opening and so I rushed to get some grocery items,” Partha Das, a resident of Rajgarh Bihutoli, told News Live.
“I came to buy some essentials but even they don’t have enough stock. I don’t know what to do now,” Anjali Deka, another customer, said.
Meanwhile, several people have alleged that some shopkeepers were charging them more considering the situation people are finding themselves in.
“Some traders are trying to cash in on our plight by charging us more. I bought potatoes at Rs 50 a kilogram,” another customer said.
Long queues were also seen outside fuel depots in Guwahati as people rushed to refuel their vehicles.
“Shops are closed; I don’t have enough groceries at home. And now my car is running low on petrol. Something should be done to ensure that things come to normal,” Rakhal Das of Panjabari told News Live outside a fuel depot in Geetanagar.
An uneasy calm prevails in the city although the situation showed signs of improvement today. The Army, police and para-military forces launched a crackdown on miscreants resorting to violence and arson in the name of protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
