All major festivals leave behind a trail of woes, especially wasted fruits and flowers. This Varamahalakshmi, the prices of fruits and flowers were at its peak.
Because of which most markets like K R Market, Malleswaram Market and Ganganagar Market, had unsold flowers and banana leaves thrown around. Most of the flower-sellers in these markets claim that they do not have any place to stock unsold flowers as they do business on the sides of the street. The ordinary people say that the sight of flowers being strewn around is hard to digest.
Metrolife interacted with a few flower-sellers, BBMP and common people to understand why there is wastage of flowers after every major festival. Gangamma Rao, a flower-seller in K R Market, says, "We sell our flowers on the streets and have no place to keep the unsold flowers. When rats and insects eat into the flowers, we are forced to throw them away. There have been no rains this time and getting the flowers is a challenge in itself."
"We are forced to sell the flowers for Rs 20 or Rs 30 more than last year because we have paid a heavy price to get them into the City," she adds. Ratna, another flower-seller in the Malleswaram Market, says, "Keeping the place insect free is the biggest challenge we face. There are no places where we can keep the unsold flowers. We have to work hard during festivals to sell all the flowers we bring in to the market."
The BBMP is doing nothing to solve the problems of the flower- sellers. K R Niranjan, special commissioner of the BBMP, says, "Where is the place to create additional stocking space in these markets? People sell on the roadside and expect us to clean up the mess. Should all this be done for free?" Niranjan says that wastage during and after festivals is inevitable.
But people, who pay through their nose to buy heavily-priced fruits and flowers, say that the wastage is unpardonable. Ajay Kumar N, a businessman who visited two or more markets a day before Varamahalakshmi, says, "The flowers cost at least Rs 50 to 60 more than last year. Even if we buy these flowers, they begin to wilt by evening and we have to take all measures to keep them fresh by sprinkling water and keeping them in the fridge."
Bhumika, an artist, also says that unsold flowers are thrown around in the market. "At a time when everything under the sun is expensive, wastage is the last thing one would expect, especially in our markets. There are no rains this year and the flowers entering the market are also few in number. Can't the government equip markets with more areas to stock unsold material?" she asks.