Demonetisation has hit sales of chicken, mutton and fish, with traders claiming almost a 50 per cent drop in business.

Mohammad Mukhtar, a chicken shop owner at Police Lines locality, said he used to sell 150kg of chicken daily on average which has come down to 70kg a day, thanks to the Union government scrapping Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

"The new move has affected people from top to bottom," Mukhtar said. "The wholesalers are not accepting the old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 and demanding new ones which are available in limited number. When the wholesaler is not accepting the money, we are putting small orders. Similarly, we are also not accepting the old notes, and it is affecting our business."

Raja, a mutton shop owner on Boring Road, rued that he was able to sell just three goats in three days. He said most people carry Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and after demonetisation drive the number of customers has plummeted drastically. So, he he is selling mutton to his regular customers on credit.

"On average, I would easily sell five to seven goats from morning to evening but these days it's come down to just one goat in a day. I am not accepting old notes, and very few are coming with Rs 100 notes."

The fish market near Boring Road crossing wears a deserted look these days. The fish market in Machuatoli locality is equally hit because of the cash crunch.

"Customers are coming with new Rs 2,000 notes, from where we will give them change? We are small traders and in a day our total business comes to around Rs 2,000 or Rs 2,500," said Krishna Mandal, a fish-seller in the area. "We cannot accept old notes as we will have to struggle to exchange it or deposit in the bank."

Residents, too, expressed disappointment that they are unable to buy chicken, mutton and fish with the old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes and if at all they have a new note of Rs 2,000, the sellers are not accepting it owing to paucity of change.

"Chicken, mutton and fish-sellers are not accepting old notes and new notes are not easily available. However, I could not control my appetite and went to a restaurant to eat mutton and paid through the card," said Awakash Kumar, a resident of Rajapur Pul. "But we cannot do this on a regular basis."