Unlocking diaries: Bhopal street food vendors grapple with the change in the new normal

The joy of eating pani puri from a thela is unparalleled. And, all those who had been missing their regular trips to these thelas and street-side vendors in the lockdown, are happy that their favourite pani puri, chaat and pakora stalls are operational now, finally. Bhopal’s street food vendors, whose business had taken a hit during the lockdown, are now slowly trying to get back on their feet in the unlocking phase.They are ensuring that they adhere to the guidelines and follow safety measures after they’ve reopened for business. However, from having to spend more money on hygiene items to perils of cooking with gloves on, fall in the number of customers, inflation etc, operating in the new normal is full of challenges for these vendors.
Extra expenditure on new normal hygiene items
Kashiram Sharma own a stall of bhajias at the 6 no stop hawkers corner since the last 17 years and he says that its like opening the shop like a new one again. “I opened my shop after three months of lockdown. I saw so many advertisements on the television and newspapers about the kind of hygiene we have to maintain so apart from what we needed in our shops to reopen I had to spend additional amount on gloves, masks, and santitsers. We are washing our utensils also thrice in a day now to ensure maximum safety so there also we have to buy double the amount of detergent we had used earlier. I had to take a loan from my family and friends to buy everything. We are selling the same items which we used to sell earlier but now we are encouraging people to take it away and eat so that we can control the crowd in front of our shops as well.”
Prices of the items have risen
Munesh Jatav has been running a stall of Pani Puri in front of the Nutan college since 2004 and it’s the first time in his life that his stall was closed for so many days. “I have never even been to my village for so many days. This is the only way of money which I earn for my family. The prices of items I need like Maida, Aata, onions, namkeen and spices have risen and thus I too had to make some changes in the way I serve. Earlier I sold 8 pani puris of 10 rupees and now I have brought the number down to 6. I had to change all the steel plates with disposable ones too so that too was an additional cost for me,” shares Munesh.
Customer have mixed feelings about the shops being opened
Makeup artist Mansi Gupta was passing by Munesh Jatav’s stall and after she saw it opened she couldn’t stop herself from having a plate of mouth watering Pani Puri. “I have been eating from this stall since so many years now and I trust Bhaiya completely as he keeps his stall neat and clean. In this new normal I am being very careful from where I eat and I am glad a few of my favourite stalls have opened.”
Freelance graphic designer Kartik Mathur had gone to the 6 no stop hawkers corner to see if it opened and ended up eating his favourite bhajiya. “I never thought that these thela walas too one day would be wearing masks and gloves. I thought in the new normal eating from these chowpatis would be a big no because at most of the places hygiene is an issue. But I saw them serving in disposable plates and making people sanitize their hands and that gave me a sense of confidence. Because after all these stalls are the saviours during the money crunch days.”
Literature student Amulya Thomas loved savouring Desi Chinese at her childhood stall at Depo square and now she is totally dependent on takeaways. “These stalls were my lifelines and I am glad they have opened back again. Even though my parents are not approving me eating out but the ways these stalls are functioning now has changed and they are maintaining standards of safety and hygiene. As of now I have stopped eating at the stall but getting them packed and eating at home is working out for me.”