Thousands of trucks from northern and western India transporting perishable goods such as fruits, onions and other vegetables, remained stranded at check-posts along the Bengal-Jharkhand border in south Bengal.

The situation arose after the Bengal government imposed a three-day ban on the entry of heavy vehicles from Jharkhand, following an order from the chief minister on Thursday afternoon.

“I cannot protect you (Jharkhand) by putting my people’s lives in peril. The Jharkhand border will remain closed for three days... because otherwise the vehicles will bring in more water...And I don’t want the trucks to sink in flood waters,” the chief minister asked officials on Thursday to seal the Jharkhand borders from Friday after several parts of the state were submerged under the waters released from the dams of the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC).

Truck drivers stranded along the interstate borders in West Burdwan, Purulia and Birbhum said fruits and vegetables would rot if they were not allowed to reach the destinations soon. At some borders, truckers led by trade unions in Jharkhand held protests demanding entry into Bengal.

“I am carrying a consignment of apples to Calcutta from Himachal Pradesh. I have been asked to stop here since Thursday evening. Police told me that I am not allowed to enter now following the flood situation in Bengal,” said a truck driver at the Duburdih check-post on Bengal-Jharkhand border in West Burdwan.

He said if the fruits start rotting, he would face trouble in getting his payment against the consignment.

Another truck driver stranded on the Bengal-Jharkhand border at Balarampur in Purulia district said he was carrying cabbage and cauliflower from Odisha.

“I was stopped at the check-post here by the police on Thursday night. I am carrying vegetables. I don’t know what will happen if the vegetables start rotting,” said the driver.

Hundreds of trucks mostly carrying onions from Pune and Nasik were stranded on the Bengal-Jharkhand borders at Jhargram and West Midnapore.

A trader in Durgapur said the price for a kilo onion has already shot up to ₹60 in the retail market.

“If the supply is affected, the price could shoot up in the retail market due to shortage of supply. Moreover, if the trucks carrying vegetables are not allowed to enter the state, prices of vegetables will also rise,” said a vegetable wholesaler in Durgapur town.

Senior Nabanna officials said that they were aware that during this time of the year, Bengal depends on supply from southern, northern and western states for vegetables, fish, fruit and particularly onion.

“It is a cause of concern that if the supply of these items gets affected, it would leave an impact on the retail market ahead of the festive season. We are trying to resolve the issue soon and would try to find a solution so that the supplies reach the market in proper condition,” said an official while admitting that the blockade would hurt Bengal more than any other states.

“While waging war against DVC for the huge amount of water released from their dams, the chief minister is actually causing damage to her state’s supply system of goods,” the official said.

JMM heading a coalition government inJharkhand (along with Congress and RJD) has termed the decision of the Mamata Banerjee government a sign of mental imbalance and taken in haste. Some truck drivers and local people in Jharkhand also staged agitation against the Bengal government’s decision.