The bakery business in Mumbai has been badly hit as a number of migrant labourers have gone back to their native places amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Some of those in the business fear that if this situation continues for some more time, there may be shortage of bakery products in the city. During a visit to 'Metro Bakery' in Kurla area, its owner Habib Ansari was found busy making toast and khari (a fluffy baked snack) along with his son-in-law and two labourers.

"I have completely shut one of my bakery outlets while I am running this unit with only four people, including myself. I am in this business since last four decades but never saw such a situation in my life," Ansari told PTI. He said their output has been reduced to just a few kilograms from 400 to 500 kgs of products which they used to make earlier in a day. "We requested our labourers not to leave, but they did not listen and fled by paying double the amount to a truck driver," he claimed. Khurshid Ansari, who has a bakery at Mumbra in neighbouring Thane district, said seven to eight bakeries have closed in the area in a week's time since labourers started leaving for their native places in Uttar Pradesh.