Food inflation dampens Deepavali cheer for Delhi’s middle-class

Poonam Devi, 48, says the rising cost of groceries has changed her family’s diet drastically. She is substituting paneer with potatoes this festive season while tomatoes and pulses have vanished from their plates altogether. “I’ve learnt how to cook without tomatoes, and I’m trying to do the best I can with as little onion and garlic as possible,” she says.

Ms. Poonam, who lives in Garhi, a middle-class locality nestled in the middle of posh apartment blocks in south Delhi’s East of Kailash, takes on odd jobs, such as stitching sequins onto dupattas for ₹2-3 apiece, to supplement ₹17,000 monthly income of her husband, who works in a private company. She says that on top of paying inflated prices for food items, finding work has become difficult over the past year.

“We spend ₹6,500 on rent, ₹2,000 on electricity and gas, and stretch the remaining ₹8,500 for food, education fees of our children, clothing and other necessities. Of all these expenditures, food is the only category where we see scope to make further cuts,” says Ms. Poonam.

In addition to food, the family has cut down on their yearly travel to Bihar for Chhath Puja. She bought just a cup this festive season, she says.

“Instead of buying new clothes and cutlery as we do every year, we had to make some compromises because of the rising cost of groceries,” she said.

‘Prices to ease’

Meanwhile, in Azadpur Mandi, Asia’s biggest fruit and vegetable market, prices have slowly started to drop, and the same is expected to reflect in the local markets soon, says Ashok Kaushik, president of the tomato traders’ association at the wholesale vegetable market.

“Due to incessant rain in Maharashtra, the prices of some crops had increased drastically. But now that winter is setting in, we are expecting prices of most perishable vegetables to stabilise over the next few days,” he adds.

Like Ms. Poonam, others in the same economic bracket are also looking to cut corners. Sapna Das, 63, who works as a hospital attendant, said she could not afford new clothes this festive season.

“My husband is unwell, and I work extra hours every day to run the household. We have to spend more on food because of the rising costs, and everyone needs two meals a day, so we’ve cut down on other necessities, such as clothing,” she said while buying vegetables from her neighbourhood street vendor. She said this Deepavali was a subdued event for her family.

Reducing purchasing power is having a spiral effect in these low-to-middle-class housing colonies.

“Business this season has been around 35% less than last Deepavali. Since there is food inflation, people are cutting down on clothes and gift items,” says Hari Lal, 43, at his women’s clothing shop, in front of which he has also put up a dry fruits stall.

Published - November 02, 2024 01:42 am IST