A sip of fresh fruit juice on the roadside when it is blazing in Tiruchi offers some respite for motorists.
| Photo Credit: M. MOORTHY
As the temperature soars in Tiruchi, makeshift fruit and juice stalls have begun to mushroom along major roads, offering a respite to pedestrians and commuters.
With just a week left of March, intense heat has gripped the city. On Monday, a maximum of 37 degrees Celsius was recorded in the city.
Makeshift shops selling tender coconut, watermelon, pathaneer, pearl millet porridge (kamman koozh), buttermilk, sugarcane juice, and other fresh juices have sprung up in large numbers along the roadside in the city.
With colourful umbrellas or canopies for a roof, these shops are a common sight near schools, bus stops, public places, hospitals, and on major roads such as Puthur High Road, Simco Road in K.K. Nagar, Salai Road, Bharathidasan Salai, and Madurai Main Road. They do brisk business from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Watermelon slices and sugarcane juice are in high demand. T. Illangovan, who works at a sugarcane juice stall on Puthur High Road, said that sugarcane juice was in demand these days. A glass of fresh sugarcane juice is sold at ₹25. “Business has picked up in the last two weeks and is expected to improve in the coming days,” he added.
A fruit seller on Madurai Main Road said that seasonal fruits, like palmyra fruit (nungu), sapotas, cucumber, and musk melon, have started arriving in the markets. “We expect to do profitable business during this summer season,” he said.
On the other hand, the increase in roadside shops raises concerns about traffic congestion and pedestrian safety. Commuters often abruptly stop their vehicles in the middle of the road to make purchases, causing chaos and disrupting the flow of traffic.
Published – March 24, 2025 08:41 pm IST
