New Delhi: Onions, which generally make people tear up when chopped, are now having the same affect even before being bought. All this is due to a sharp increase in onion prices.

The spike in onion prices is largely due to the floods that have ravaged several parts of the country, especially the onion-growing states.

While onion prices in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab and states have crossed the Rs 50 mark, Punjab has seen the highest rise, with prices touching a whopping Rs 70.

In Bengaluru, the prices range between Rs 40 and Rs 50.

Generally, to remedy this situation India would import onions from Pakistan. Now, this is no longer an option due to the rising tensions between the two countries after the abrogation of Article 370, which has led to a collapse of the trade relations.

India will now be importing the vegetable from Afghanistan. This too might see some hindrance as the route passes through Pakistan.

According to a report in the Hindustan Times, an official from the consumer affairs ministry said that the Union Government has decided to stabilize the situation by releasing 56,000 tonnes of buffer stock to the states that are facing a shortage.