The humble tomatoes are now going at princely rates up north, with the kitchen staple going at Rs 250 per kg in Gangotri Dham and Rs 180 to 200 per kg in Uttarkashi district. A vegetable seller said tomatoes have become dearer in the region all of a sudden.

"Consumers are bearing the brunt of the rising prices of the tomatoes in Uttarakashi. People are not even willing to buy them. In Gangotri, Yamunotri, tomatoes are going at Rs 200 to Rs 250 per kg," Rakesh, a vegetable seller told ANI. Many attributed the sharp rise in the vegetable prices to the prevailing heatwave in key tomato-growing areas, as well as heavy rains, leading to a disruption in supply chains.