Uncertainty of restrictions worries the vendors on the beaches after the horror pandemic has brought on in their lives
Chennai: The outbreak of Covid-19 which was followed by the nationwide lockdown has affected many businesses in Tamil Nadu. The Free Media spoke to certain such small scale business owners.
Lakshmi, a 45-year-old ‘ice-gola’ shop street vendor is worried about the livelihood and future of her kids and family even after the restrictions have been lifted by the Tamil Nadu government.
She has had the beach shop for nearly 20 years at Besant Nagar beach but as the outbreak of Covid-19 was immense followed by the sudden lockdowns, left her in financial crisis.
“Last year during the havoc of coronavirus there was no beach access for 9 months. I started selling fish then. I had to do something because one needs money, right? So, I sold fish for 9 months and then when the beach opened, in March-April they shut the beach down for another 4 months. Even then I was selling fish. Now the beach is open but I continue to sell fish on the side. The beach is where my livelihood is. We all support ourselves because of the beach – from educating our kids and running the household, everything was the beach and it was our primary source of livelihood.”
Her major concern is the uncertainty of restrictions again being imposed. She also added Sundays were the days for the majority of her business but even now on Sunday the beach is closed and the business is dull.
Now to balance the income she sells fish in the morning and comes to the beach in the evening to run to shop.
Another garland vendor, 35-year-old Nirmala from Elliot’s beach has been struggling to manage her household and sometimes even a meal for one time. She has three daughters who are dependent on her.
“It’s been very hard for all these days, each passing day is a new challenge for survival in the first wave of Covid-19 it wasn’t this tough since me and my husband tried to manage somehow but I lost him in the second wave of Covid-19 we lost whatever savings we had trying to save him. After him I am struggling to manage everything now, I sell garlands on the beach but I am not able to make that much money as compared to what I made before”.
Now her 10-year-old girl goes to houses as a domestic help to make ends meet and eight-year-old helps her at her garland shop.
Both these women made a point that people and NGOs helped a lot in the first wave but it wasn’t the case in the second wave and we are suffering through this uncertainty of lockdowns being imposed again.
According to a recent report the number of street vendors too have reduced in Tamil Nadu.
