Rising prices of milk, vegetables burning holes in people’s pockets

Sowmya Raju | NT

Bengaluru: The rising inflation in Bengaluru has put a heavy burden on the common people.

The sudden increase in the price of oil, fuel, milk and vegetables has made it difficult for people to make ends meet.

Hitting families hard

For many families, the cost of vegetables has become a major concern.

A few months ago, a kilo of tomatoes could be bought for Rs 25. Now, it costs nearly Rs 100. The price of onions and a few other vegetables has also doubled.

This has made it difficult for families to cook healthy meals. The recent increase in prices of Nandini milk and its dairy products is also burning a hole in the pockets of consumers.

Radha, who runs a Nandini outlet in the city, said that the price increase has led to a decrease in the quantity of milk and curd that people are buying.

She said that people who typically bought 500 ml or 1 litre of milk are now buying 250 ml and 500 ml, respectively. She added that even though the price difference is only Rs 3, it is a significant amount for several families. One homemaker, who is a mother of three children under the age of 5, said that she is struggling to feed her children without milk.

She said that she used to buy 1 litre of milk, but now can afford only 500 ml. She has resorted to mixing water with the milk to stretch its usage.

The government has taken some steps to address rising inflation, but they have not been enough. People are calling for more government intervention to help them cope with the rising cost of living. In the meantime, the common people of Bengaluru are struggling to make ends meet.

They are feeling the pinch of inflation, and are worried about how they are going to afford life in the city.

Emotional toll

The rising inflation in Bengaluru is not just a financial burden.

It is also taking an emotional toll on people. Many people are feeling stressed and anxious about their finances. They are worried about how they are going to afford to pay for the basic necessities, such as food, for their families.

This stress is now leading to health problems for breadwinners of the family such as stress, anxiety, headaches, stomach aches, sleep problems and so on.

A food delivery executive, who is the only breadwinner in his family of five said, “Whatever I earn on a regular basis goes away for our daily essentials. With the sudden skyrocketing prices of vegetables, I am unable to feed my family.”

With pain and irony, he said, “We always advise our children to eat healthy fresh fruits and vegetables, but what if we are unable to afford that?”

The pain of not being able to provide basic necessities for their families has now become very common among several middle-class and lower-middle-class breadwinners in Bengaluru.

A single mother of two, who does two jobs to provide for her children and sick mother, is struggling to make ends meet as the cost of living continues to rise.

She said that she needs to buy food, medicine, oil, and pay school fees for her children, but is finding it increasingly difficult to afford these basic necessities.

She said, "I don't know how I'm going to do it. The prices of everything are going up, but my income is the same. I'm worried that I'm going to have to choose between feeding my children and paying for my mother's medicine and children’s education."

This is just one example of the many families that are struggling to make ends meet in the face of rising inflation. The rising inflation in Bengaluru is a serious problem.

Not just burdening financially, it is also taking an emotional toll on the ordinary population. The government needs to take action to address this problem before it is too late.