Looking at the crowd at number of vegetable markets across the country and people ignoring Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message of social distancing to combat coronavirus, the railways on Thursday provided its empty land for a vegetable market in Andhra Pradesh.

The railways in a tweet said, “Social distancing is the only alternative in this hour of crisis. Railways has collaborated with Guntakal Municipality and shifted the vegetable market to facilitate and protect railway men and citizens.”

The railways also shared an image of the market where people stood in queues, maintaining safe distance and waiting for their turn to buy vegetables.

A senior Railway Ministry official in Delhi said the Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs) are fully competent to take these decisions and all efforts are being made to ensure social distancing.

Following the announcement of nationwide lockdown from March 24 to April 14 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his second special address to the nation on Tuesday night, people across the country started panic-buying, resulting in a heavy rush at markets.

The Prime Minister then also appealed to the people to not indulge in panic buying as all the essential items are available.

The national transporter has suspended passenger train services till April 14 to combat the spread of Covid-19. Only freight trains are allowed to ensure the supply the of essential items across the country.