Pongal rush chokes Koyambedu

Unlike the usual days, the biggest market in the state saw brisk sales from dawn to dusk. People were seen purchasing Pongal items, which arrived from various districts. “The market used to be busy from 4 am to 10 am, but today it was very unusual with so many visitors,” said a trader. Sugarcane bundles continued to arrive from various districts like Cuddalore, Madurai and Theni, while a large quantity of turmeric leaves also reached there.

“Pongal festival sales would pick up from January 10 itself. But this year, all the necessary items like sugarcane and turmeric came only a couple of days ago due to the bus strike, which came to an end only on Thursday night. The market witnessed last minute purchases and hence the huge crowd on Saturday,” reasoned K Nathan, a sugarcane trader.

As far as sugarcane price was concerned, a lot depended on its length. While the shorter ones were sold at Rs 300 for 15 canes, the longer and thicker ones were sold at Rs 500, said the traders. Similarly, a bunch of five turmeric leaves was sold at Rs 20 to Rs 40.

VR Soundararajan, president, Koyambedu Vegetable, Fruit and Flower Wholesale Traders Federation and member of Market Management Committee, said, “When compared to last year, the number of footfalls in the market crossed beyond one lakh. Around 120 lorries carrying sugarcane and 40 lorries with yellow leaves and cereals reached the market on Friday night.”

Markets like T Nagar and Aminjikarai also witnessed huge crowds