Told to stop selling veggies, woman switches to masks

Vadodara: A woman, who used to earn her living by selling vegetables in Gorwa was forced to sell masks on the road after cops asked her to stop selling vegetables following the lockdown orders.

The woman, Sheela Chauhan, said that her vegetable sales were already down since the residential societies ad stopped entry of vegetable vendors. To make up for it, Chauhan was selling vegetables on road leading to Ellora Park from Gorwa ITI.

“But a week back, policemen came and asked me to stop selling on the road saying that social distancing was not being maintained at my hand cart,” Chauhan told TOI. “I ensured that people stand at a distance at my hand cart as there are two kids at my home and I would not want them to get affected because of me,” she added.

Chauhan, however, found an opportunity even in the time of lockdown. She bought reusable cotton masks and handkerchiefs and started selling outside her house. “We are five people at home including my mother whose medical costs are high and there is nobody else to earn money so I have started selling masks,” she said. But despite putting up a mask stall outside her home and civic body making masks compulsory, Chauhan is not being able to make as much as she used to earn by selling vegetables.

“There is good profit in selling vegetables,” she said.