Hyderabad: Small scale business face lockdown blues in Ramzan

Hyderabad: The Coronavirus outbreak has left the small business in a jittery during Islam's holiest month.

Religious places including mosques have been closed for nearly a month now. And with clerics advising all to stay home and social distancing becoming the norm, people are unable to get together for prayers and Iftar, which is a key part of Islam's holiest month.

With people not leaving their houses the small scale businesses which were on the peak during Ramzan has faced a huge impact.

'There has been a very huge effect on the business due to lockdown in Ramzan. There Is a high demand during Ramzan and marriages, but since the lockdown, the entire business has affected a lot. The prices of these baskets differ on the basis of sizes. It starts from Rs 40 to Rs 2, 000 earlier now we have to sell them in half prices due to fewer customers," said Sooraj Sharma owner of Sadguru Krupa Baskets and Furnitures at Ramkoti.

These baskets are generally sold in areas like Gosha Mahal, Nampally, Begum Bazaar and Chaderghat.

Similarly, fruit sellers in the city have been hit hard during Ramadan as Coronavirus pandemic dries up business due to the ongoing lockdown to prevent the spread of the COVID-19.

"We are in a fix. Our fruit business is down due to the lockdown. There are thousands of people associated with fruit business who make their living during Ramzan. They are the victim of the lockdown as the sales have drastically gone down," said Rasheed Khan a seller at Kothapet fruit market.

Kothapet fruit market, the biggest wholesale fruit market in Hyderabad is a place where nearly tonnes of fruits come from different states via trucks especially for Ramadan.