e-Thottam app suspended after veg shops resume sales

Many said the app was useful during the initial days of the lockdown, especially for those living in containment areas. “As we could not step out of the house, this initiative was really helpful. In the beginning I was hesitant to use the app. But then I found that the service was good and the vegetables were delivered in two days. For the Rs 300 package, the quantity of vegetables was more than expected. Even the quality was good, better than the vegetables we buy from the shops nearby,” said Suryanarayanan N, a resident of Gopalapuram.

Impressed by the quantity and quality, he recommended it to an NGO, which in turn used the app to distribute vegetables to daily wagers who were suffering without income and food, Suryanarayanan said. Mala Sekar from Mylapore was another customer after her house came within a containment area and she could not buy vegetables from the regular vendors. “We came across this online shopping through social media. All vegetables were sold at a reasonable price. This initiative was really helpful, because at times when we don’t get any products, our orders were delivered at the doorstep,” Mala said.

Through the app, orders could be placed for packages starting at Rs 300 for vegetables and Rs 500 for fruits. The vegetables and fruits were sourced from Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Villupuram and Cuddalore, and were stocked at four places in the city, including Madharavaram and Semmozhi Park.

Speaking to DT Next, N Subbaiyan, Director of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, said, “Now, Tirumazhisai market and neighbourhood shops are open and prices have reduced. We have also tied up with food delivery apps, which deliver the same day. That is why we are not taking direct orders or delivering directly.

“We want to give all the options to the public, including wholesale, retail, and mobile because of the crisis. When Koyambedu market was closed and there were no markets for a week, we involved ourselves in wholesale, too. That was when we tied up with delivery apps for bulk orders also,” he added.