Residents of Bagalokot, Bidar and Koppal resorted to panic buying as rumours about salt shortage went viral on social media on Saturday, the Deccan Herald reported.
Residents of Navangar, Hungund and Ilkal in Bagalkot waited outside grocery stores in long queues to make bulk purchases of salt.
A grocer in Ilkal sold several quintals of salt in one day, while some stores ran out of salt to sell, the report states.
However, a few shopkeepers in Bidar, took advantage of the situation and hike the salt prices. A kilogram of salt, which costs Rs. 15, was sold at Rs. 25, the Deccan Herald report said.
Complaints of merchants hoarding salt in Kushtagi town in Koppal district, surfaced. A few residents complained that salt was being sold at Rs. 60 to Rs. 70 per kilogram, the report said.
There was also a huge rush to buy salt in Mysuru and Kalburgi. People were relieved when news of the rumour was declared false.
The situation was similar elsewhere too.
Rumours of salt and sugar shortage caused people in parts of Hyderabad to panic.
There was panic buying of the two essential items in the old city and some other parts of Hyderabad after rumours spread over social media. This followed reports of salt shortage in Uttar Pradesh.
People mobbed shops late Friday night and Saturday morning to buy salt and sugar. Traders exploited the situation in a few places to sell the packed salt powder at Rs 80-100 per kg against the actual price of Rs 17. The price of sugar was reportedly doubled to Rs 80.