As South Indian states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu battle with heavy rains and floods, the people are suffering from house loss, meanwhile, people of the southern states are also suffering from heavy prices of basic necessities like vegetables.

In most of the southern states, the price of needy vegetables like tomatoes is off the roof. In most of the southern states, tomatoes are being sold for as much as Rs 100/kg which is nearly the price of petrol in many states in India. Whereas, in Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai, the price of tomatoes has gone up to Rs 140/kg from Rs 30-40/kg.

Andhra Pradesh is one of the largest producers of tomatoes in the country but the state is being hit by severe rains and floods on one hand, while the rise in the price of fuel on the other has shot up the price of tomatoes including other vegetables like capsicum and onions.

Retail markets in Mandaveli, Mylapore and Nandanam are selling tomatoes between Rs 140 - Rs 160 per kilogram, while app-based grocery startups are selling tomatoes for Rs 120 a kg.

Normally, tomatoes are cultivated from 58,000 hectares in Andhra Pradesh and the state grows around 26.67 lakh metric tonnes. Madanapalle in Chittoor is the biggest tomato market. But this year, the biggest producers -- the districts of Chittoor and Anantapur -- are among the areas hit worst by floods.

Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are being dependent on other states like Maharashtra who is supplying them with tomatoes.

"The situation that Modi-ji has created for the country -- Section 144 has been imposed on tomato and onion in the kitchen... Capsicum is ₹ 100-120 a kilo, even onions are ₹ 50 a kg," said Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera.

(with NDTV inputs)

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