Navi Mumbai's APMC market set to resume operations from April 15 amid lockdown

In order to ease the pain of farmers and consumers hit by the disruption in the food supply chain due to the coronavirus lockdown, Navi Mumbai's Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) will resume operations from April 15. This comes a day after the Maharashtra government issued an ultimatum to the committee, advising it to reopen the market and withdraw their shut down. APMC is Mumbai's largest wholesale market for agricultural goods located in Navi Mumbai's Vashi town.

Maharashtra has so far reported the highest count of COVID-19 cases — 1985 — and its capital Mumbai has 1,298 cases — the most in any Indian city. 92 people have till date died due to COVID-19 in Mumbai while 136 have recovered.

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APMC had partially shut down the city's largest wholesale market on Thursday after a trader had tested positive for Coronavirus. The government on Sunday ordered APMC to reopen the market in two days' time, failing which action will be taken under the Epidemic Act, as the shutdown would result in a shortage of essential commodities in Mumbai, Thane, and Navi Mumbai.

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Coronavirus crisis

India entered its twentieth day of the three-week shutdown which aims to curb the spread of COVID-19. So far, the country has reported 9152 cases of COVID-19 and has seen a sharpening of the infection curve in recent weeks. 857 patients have recovered from the disease while 308 people have died. The lockdown, due to end on April 14, has been extended in Maharashtra till the end of April given the rise in infections.

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