Aurobindo Manna has not opened his shop for a week. The flower vendor at Mallickghat Phool Bazaar near Howrah sells marigold and is forced to pull down the shutters as the supply of the flower has been affected by Aila. Manna is not alone. Many vendors have not been able to do business as Aila has taken its toll on Kolkatas flower market. According to Shantanu Deb,a member of Mallickghat Phoolbazar Babsayee Samiti,the supply of flowers is not reaching from East and West Midnapore and Ranaghat in Nadia. The usual daily supply of flowers is 2000 to 3000 tonnes,rising to 5,000 tonnes during puja and the wedding season. After Aila,the supply has gone down to 1,000 tonnes, he said. The Samiti is not being able to meet the demand of certain flowers. Only those vendors,who procure their flowers from the unaffected areas,are able to run their shops and are selling flowers at higher prices. After the cyclone,the price of rose has risen from Rs 25 to Rs 50 per 50 flowers. Sunflower that used to be sold for 30 paise per piece is now being sold at 50 paise. Yellow marigolds price has doubled from Rs 60 to Rs 120 per kudi (20 pieces). Further,the flowers that are being supplied are not fresh and arriving late.
