Big Basket resumes delivery; erratic due to lockdown hiccups

In a significant development, online grocery delivery setup Big Basket on Sunday announced that it will resume its service in the coming days. Amid the national lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Big Basket had shut its operations due to the restrictions imposed by the local authorities. PM Modi on March 23 announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight of March 25 to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly.

However, Big Basket officially notified that it will start the delivery again after clearing the massive backlog and after solving the operational restraints. 

READ: Nature's Basket to remain operational during the 21-day lockdown: Here are the guidelines

Meanwhile, with a 21-day lockdown being imposed, here's what the official notification has to say about grocery stores and deliveries:

• "Shops, including ration shops (under PDS), dealing with food, groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, meat and fish, animal fodder" are allowed to be open.
• It adds, "District authorities may encourage and facilitate home delivery to minimize the movement of individuals outside their homes."
• Specific to home deliveries, it goes on to state, "Delivery of all essential goods, including food, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment through e-commerce is allowed."

READ: Big Bazaar open amid lockdown: Here's how you can check if your local store is operational

Coronavirus in India

As of March 29, India has reported  898 cases so far, and 19 deaths. To tackle the growing cases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a nationwide lockdown for 21 days. The highest number of cases have been reported from Maharashtra - 186 cases and Kerala - 182 cases.

Prime Minister Modi established a dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected, a public charitable trust under the name of ‘Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund’ (PM CARES Fund).

READ: Is Big Basket delivering groceries during India's 21-day Coronavirus lockdown? Answered

READ: Big Bazaar's doorstep delivery permissible as per 21-day Coronavirus lockdown guidelines