By Ran Bahadur Singh*
rbsrana73@gmail.com
Anandpur Sahib, September 1, 2020: With tourism activities halted and marriage ceremonies curtailed local taxi owners here are finding it very difficult to make ends meet.
Lockdown has adversely affected not only them and their families economically, but their mental health also. The wait for revival of economic activity has been long and testing.
In Anandpur Sahib, taxi operators ply from the city to the nearby pilgrim stations like Mata Naina Devi, Jawalaji and Chintpurni.
People from Punjab especially the Malwa belt come to pay obeisance at these religious places during Navratras.
This is the main source of income for the taxi operators in this area. But now with the temples in Himachal Pardesh closed for pilgrims and the restrictions on travel, taxi operators are a helpless lot.
Earlier (pre Covid-19) there had always been a surge in demand for taxis during these days due to marriage ceremonies. But now this avenue of income for the taxi operators has also closed.
Some operators who have to pay EMIs are suffering from mental depression thus enhancing the medical expenses of the family during these hard times.
Presently, most of them are taking up whichever job they can find. Some are selling vegetables in nearby villages while some others go for manual work.
Unlock-4 guidelines have given taxi operators some hope that their business will once again pick up but it is a long hard road ahead.
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