PENGANGA (ADILABAD): The tomato prices are likely to rise further across the country as many lorries carrying the loads from Kolar in Karnataka were stranded for 12 hours on NH 44 till Sunday morning following the floods and resultant safety concerns.
There is also fear that these tomatoes might get damaged or rotten because of the delayed delivery. Lorry-loads of tomatoes go to the northern states from Karnataka.
The stranded vehicles were allowed to proceed to Maharashtra and to Telangana by crossing the bridge across River Penganga from 9 am on Sunday after the floodwaters receded there.
Hundreds of trucks and lorries carrying vegetables and other goods were stranded since Saturday night on NH-44 from Bhoraj check post of Adilabad in Telangana to Bhori of Maharashtra.
NH authorities and officials of the Yavatmal and Adilabad districts had decided to disallow vehicles onto the bridge from both sides to avoid possible damage to it.
The officials think that the bridge may get affected if the bearings slightly get moved to the sides with the heavy weight of trucks plying on the bridge.
Tomatoes were already being sold for ₹140 per kg in the Adilabad market.
Driver R Kumar of Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, who was taking a tomato-loaded vehicle from Kolar in Karnataka to Khanpur, Uttar Pradesh, regretted the delay in reaching the loads to their destinations. This was his second trip transporting tomatoes to Khanpur, he said
