As expected several districts in Odisha have already witnessed buying of essentials by panicky citizens after the met department confirmed that some districts of the state may be affected by Montha, the cyclonic storm formed in the Bay of Bengal. The severe cyclone is expected to have its landfall near Kakinada in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh on the evening or night of October 28.

             The state government has appealed the people not to panic as the cyclone would be having limited impact in Odisha. Red alert has been sounded only eight out of 30 districts. All the eights districts are located in the southern and western part of the state. Besides, the state government has also said that it has taken all necessary steps to handle all kind of situations. But the assurance seems to be having little impact on the panicked citizens. In fact, if reports in a section of the local media are to be believed, the rates of vegetables have already skyrocketed in the market and it is being attribute to panic buying by the people.

            Market watchers and experts are of the view that panic buying of essentials during natural calamities is an international phenomena which can never be controlled or stopped. ‘’Panicky citizens do go for extra buying of essentials during calamities in all parts of the globe. It is not confined to any particular country or society. It is part of basic human nature’’, said a long time market watcher.

          To prove her point she said, when Montha was heading towards India’s east coast, at the same time hurricane Melissa was on its way to hit Jamaica. ’’A section international media had reported how the locals in the Caribbean city were going for panic buying of day to day essentials’’, she said.

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