Coronavirus impact has literally nipped flowers in the bud. Local vendors at the flower market in Indore are bearing the brunt of the ongoing second COVID-19 pandemic. More than 700 flower shops in Indore city have suffered huge losses during the pandemic.

The pandemic and the associated economic miseries came at a particularly terrible time for the flower industry. Spring is the busiest season for flower businesses, and shoppers rely upon the income rolling in from weddings and social programmes.

Praveen Sharma of Praveen flower decorations, Indore shares, "We have been in the flower business for 20 years now. The second wave of corona have particularly been very hard. The business has been spoiling as marriage and social functions are not taking place because of the fifty-guest rule”.

Sharma went on saying, - “Before lockdown, our monthly income was in the range of Rs. 40,000 to 50,000.  The situation has entirely changed and now we have no business at all. We are facing a huge loss as there is no market and no sale of flowers. Like last year, this year also the season has passed and there is no income. Our main income derived from the home delivery, but currently home delivery is not possible because of coronavirus.  People are very scared, we too have to keep ourselves from attack”.

There are around 15,000 shops in Indore, with around 8,000 small traders whose business runs on a daily income. The condition of those who do business of flowers is very bad. The condition of our business is like dig a well and drink water every day. This is a raw business, neither the government nor our government bothers anyone. All we want is that we should also be given such a discount as vegetables, groceries, and milk so that we too can nurture our family.

In such a situation there is neither business nor income and the people who are hypothecated (EMI-driven) are accountable to the lenders. If we do not keep our business closed, at least monthly EMI can be repaid. If any facility or help is given by the government then that will be helpful Government should intervene into the flower business in this difficult time do that at least we can full our EMI.

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