Udupi hotels in Mumbai hit hard due to coronavirus lockdown

India's financial hub of Mumbai and the coastal Udupi district of Karnataka has a special connection.

Udupi is synonymous with food across the world. Almost every street in Mumbai has one 'Udupi restaurant'. Whether it is idli, vada, dosa, sambhar, chutney, tea and coffee, thali-lunch, Mumbaikars cannot think of a day in their lives without Udupi-food.

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They run catering services as well as bars.

There are lakhs of people from Udupi, who work in Mumbai's small and big restaurants and canteens in office areas. Several of them have started leaving for their hometowns.

Among them are Jaya Poojari and Sanjeeva, who last week, reached Udipi. They plan to return after the lockdown in Mumbai ends.

After their return, Jaya is now in a quarantine facility in the Udupi district while Sanjeeva is under quarantine in Kundapur.

"We came to know of a bus that was going to Udupi. They were charging Rs 4,300 per seat. We gave all the details and they only secured all the necessary permissions," Jaya told DH from a hostel, where a quarantine facility has been created.

"During the journey from Maharashtra to Karnataka, the bus was stopped at several check posts. When we reached Udupi, we were escorted by police to the quarantine facility. We are going to be here for 14 days and then the next 14 days in home quarantine," he said, adding that the bus had a majority of those working in hotels, restaurants and canteens.

"The situation is difficult but once the lockdown ends things would be back to normal though it may take a couple of months," said Sudhakar Karkara, who runs a catering chain in Mumbai.

"The industry, which creates huge employment, is reeling under tremendous loss for the past two months and it went unmentioned in the Government’s relief package. We were expecting some relief measures on the lines of other foreign countries who have supported the hospitality sector in this dire time, but have been left to fend on our own," said Shivanand Shetty, President, Indian Hotels and Restaurant Association (AHAR).

"As we struggle to maintain our fixed overheads, we expect 35% of the restaurants to shut down permanently and unemployment of 35-38% workforce. We are not sure if we exist as an industry in the Government’s scheme of things," he added.