The prices of air coolers, gram flour (sattu) drink, sugarcane juice and other beverages have increased significantly in Bihar amid the rising temperatures and heatwave conditions across the state.
Ranging from 44 to 47 degrees Celsius, the maximum temperature has broken all records in several districts of the state.
The scorching heat has led to a significant surge in demand as well as prices of coolers and air conditioners. In the last few days, prices of coolers in Patna’s Danapur market have increased from 30 to 50 per cent.
“This time the heat has made the lives of people miserable. There is a huge shortage of coolers in the market. The articles that remained unsold last year are being sold this time. No one had anticipated such a heatwave. People are ready to pay up to Rs 8,000 for a cooler which was earlier sold at Rs 5,000… As the rainy season is ahead, traders are cautious to bring new stock as their capital may get stuck and thus there is a shortage of coolers in the market,” Sachin Kumar, who owns a fan and air cooler shop in the Danapur market, said on Monday.
“The cost of coolers is higher than normal. I was expecting a steel body cooler in the range of Rs 6,000 but it was not available. I finally cracked a deal for Rs 7,500 after bargaining,” said Shantanu Pandey, a resident of R.K. Puram, Danapur.
Besides coolers, prices of sattu drink and sugarcane juice doubled in cities like Patna.
Vendors outside Patna Junction railway station have increased the price of sattu drink from Rs 15 per glass to Rs 30 while that of sugarcane juice from Rs 20 to 35.
Kavita Devi, a female passenger at Patna Junction railway station, said: “When I was going to Arrah in the morning, a vendor had given me a glass of sattu for Rs 15. When I returned at 3 p.m., the same vendor was selling a glass of sattu at Rs 30.”