Street food hawkers across Calcutta are struggling to remain afloat as most of their customers are opting for home-made lunch and are staying away from their stalls.

A new sense of hygiene, coupled with a looming fear of contracting the coronavirus, has forced many regulars to keep away from roadside food stalls. Some hawkers have switched to selling vegetables and fruits because earning enough to meet the day’s fuel expense at home has turned out to be a challenge.

About 1.43 lakh hawkers sell food items across Calcutta and office-goers form a large part of their clientele during lunch time. From bhaat-maach (rice and fish curry), noodles and rotis, to chicken and paneer dishes, the vendors serve anything and everything.

But over the past few weeks, though many government and private offices have reopened, the usual crowd around food stalls at the BBD Bag area, Esplanade, Ruby crossing and Kasba and on Park Street, Camac Street and Theatre Road have disappeared.

“Even our loyal customers are refusing to eat our food because of the disease,” said Chiranjib Ghosh, a food stall owner outside Kasba New Market. “I am operating in the afternoon and at night to raise money for the fuel cost at home. But even that is not happening.”

Before the lockdown, office-goers from nearby places and those working at stores at Acropolis mall would throng Ghosh’s “Little Corner” for lunch. The 50-plus man used to earn around Rs 3,000 daily. That has come down to around Rs 800.

Most people who would have lunch at roadside stalls are bringing food from home to avoid standing in a gathering and exposing themselves to the risk of being infected by the novel coronavirus. Lack of hygiene at many of the roadside stalls is another worry.

With losses mounting, hawkers selling food are joining an app named hawkerbazar, where regular customers can place orders and the food will be delivered on their desks. “We will train the vendors extensively in hygiene and safe practice,” said Ayan Hazra of Qlikchain.com, which is preparing the app.

Around 2,000 hawkers have joined the platform and more are set to join.