Several customers in the city stocked up on packaged drinking water on Thursday anticipating a shortage due to the ongoing indefinite strike by manufacturers. Protesting the National Green Tribunal’s directive on Wednesday to close over 252 units across the State, members of the Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers Association started a strike.

Following this, several retailers received more orders for bubbletops on Thursday. V. Murugan, a retailer in Perambur, said he exhausted his stock as many residents had purchased two or three bubbletops anticipating a shortage during the next few days. Nearly 900 units across the State remain closed since Wednesday evening. Of this, about 320 units are located in and around Chennai.