Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], May 22 (ANI): As the country grapples with consecutive fuel price hikes triggered by conflicts in West Asia and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, Dehradun has joined several Indian cities facing a sharp spike in the cost of essential commodities due to inflation in the country.

The increased freight and transportation charges have heavily pinched the pockets of the common citizen, thus driving up retail rates in the city. As a result, the prices of food items across Dehradun have escalated sharply within just a single week.

Over the past week, the costs of daily items ranging from food grains to milk and curd have also increased across the city, with the surge in petrol and diesel rates cited as the primary driver behind the inflation. This sudden price hike across daily essentials, fruits, and vegetables has significantly strained local household budgets.

In the smaller fruit and vegetable markets of the capital city, retail prices of staples like onions and tomatoes have climbed by 5 to 6 per kilogram, while premium fruits such as apples and pomegranates have become costlier by up to 50 per kilogram.

This upward trend extends well beyond basic greens; other essential produce, including okra, bottle gourd, cucumber, mangoes, and bananas, are all commanding higher rates. Additionally, lemon prices have also experienced a massive surge, as the prices have skyrocketed to nearly 250 per kilogram in the local markets of the state capital.

Local fruit seller Raj Kishore mentioned that the prices of commodities like kiwi and coconut water have shot up directly due to the fuel hike, stressing that this rapid rise in prices has severely affected the local fruit businesses.

'The prices of fruits like Kiwi have increased. Even the price of coconut water has increased as a result of an increase in the price of petrol and diesel... Prices of many fruits have increased, and this is affecting the business...' Kishore told ANI.

Local dairy owner Vikas Gulathi shed light on the escalating prices of milk products, revealing that the cost of curd has risen from 100 to 120 per kilogram, while paneer has climbed from 400 to 440 per kilogram. He emphasised that these steep prices are heavily impacting the budget of the common man, and added that his own dairy business is suffering a substantial setback due to dwindling consumer demand for milk products.

'Our business is going down because of the inflation... The price of commercial gas has also increased, and it is difficult to get it too... The price of curd has increased from 100 to 120 per kg, and that of paneer from 400 to 440 per kg... This is affecting the budget of the common man...' Gulathi told ANI.

These hikes come amid a call for fuel conservation as the world faces an energy crisis amid the West Asia conflict, which led to a blockade in the significant maritime trade route, the Strait of Hormuz.

The Brent oil prices have been at a record high in the wake of the US-Israel and Iran war, which began on February 28 this year. The Brent oil price has been hovering over USD 100 per barrel as the US and Iran are attempting to mediate for a long-term ceasefire in the region.

The widening of the ambit of the war engulfed the West Asian countries, which are major suppliers of fuel. However, India has maintained that there is no shortage of fuel and has adequate energy supplies. (ANI)