Sixty-eight-year-old N.Ramakrishnan of Ramakrishna flower shop, Matunga, in Mumbai came to Mumbai from Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu, five decades ago and started selling flowers, which was their family business. Since then he has been in this business with a shop at Matunga. ‘I have never come across a situation like this. Though the flower business was very dull during the last few years due to heavy rains we were able to survive “ said the vice- president of Matunga Flower Merchants association. All flower merchants are native of Tamil Nadu and came to Mumbai for their living.
P.Subbiah who also settled in Mumbai for more than four decades and now as the association president controls nearly 50 flower shops in the area, is the most depressed person. He was chocked while talking. He says “nearly 500 families are depending only on this business”. Irrespective of they open the shops or not they have to pay the workers salary, license fee to BMC and electricity charges. Each shop employs on an average of five to six workers depends on season. And all the families are now practically starving with no money pay rent and to eat as most of the temples in the area are also closed and due to lack of transport flowers are not coming to Mumbai from Chennai, Bengaluru, Vasai and Virar.
Secretary of the association Mr S.Arumugam who runs the Ayyappa flower shop says on an average each shop’s loss was Rs.20, 000/- per day and each labourer has to be paid Rs. 500/- daily besides food. Now, most of the workers have left for their village and we are not sure how we will be able to function. During the 10-day Ganesh festival, each worker demands Rs.25 thousand plus food.
“For flower shops, no bank gives loan as they do not have any security to give”, It is a day-to-day business. We have to pay money to buy flowers from Dadar market. Now they are not sure there will be a Ganapathy festival due to present restrictions says Subbiah. They believe many Ganesh Mandals have postponed the festival and will be celebrating in February. They have now appealed to BMC to waive the license fee during the lockout period as their business is zero. “We will be also happy if we get Mudra loan or any financial assistance from the centre so that we will be able to start the business once the lockdown is lifted,” says Arumugam.
