C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
In a bid to ensure social distancing is maintained in crowded areas and provide essentials through mobile carts, the Market Management Committee along with Swiggy, Zomato and Dunzo has started delivering
vegetables at the doorstep at a reasonable rate.
A Market Management Committee official told Express that the initiative was taken to ensure social distancing is being maintained in the crowded.
The idea is to distribute 30 tonnes of vegetables per day using around 100 vehicles to every nook and corner of the city. "The vehicles will be sent to housing societies, residential areas and flats where there is minimum demand from 25 families," the official said.
The idea is to keep the crowd away from the Koyambedu market and also ensure vegetables are provided to people at a reasonable rate, the MMC official told Express.
On Wednesday, a total of 35 vehicles vehicles had been distributing vegetables. "We sold all vegetables except onions, potatoes and cabbage. We are not involving CMDA officials in sales and procurement of vegetables. rather taking the help of cooperative societies staff and daily wage workers," the official said.
Similarly, MMC says they have tied up with Swiggy, Dunzo and Zomato. "Today, Zomato has been selling the vegetables as the service is now available in their app. We are in talks with Swiggy and Dunzo and we expect them to be part of the initiative from Thursday," said the official.
Meanwhile, another official told Express that in the initial stages there were hiccups as some orders directly came through Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority website. "Since these were individual orders, we will be redirecting it to Swiggy or Zomato. These hiccups will be there initially and it will be sorted out soon," the official added.
Pratap Premnath, City Operations Head - Online Ordering at Zomato Chennai, said that it is their first such endeavour and a positive one with about 15 to 20 per cent of groceries include vegetables from Koyambedu wholesale market. "We have tied up with Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority. The endeavour is more people centric and we our using our vast fleet of riders to supply vegetables. We have three different combo packs starting from Rs 220," he said.
Premanath says the margins are not that high as those in processsed and cooked food. S Chandran, Market management Committee Licensed Merchants Association President and Anaithu Sangankalin Kootamaipu general secretary, told Express that he welcomed the initiative as it would help in maintaining social distancing and provide fresh vegetables to far off places where people are devoid of it.
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