The Hindu : Market compounds woes of road users

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 11, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Market compounds woes of road users

By T. Lalith Singh

HYDERABAD May 8. Mirroring the apathy of Serilingampally municipality authorities, a key stretch of the old Mumbai highway continues to remain under the control of vegetable sellers, resulting in severe hardship for the road users.

The bustling market occupies a major portion of the narrow strip near the Ramachandrapuram police station causing traffic jams throughout the day. The vendors operate in three to four layers, spilling onto the road on either side, thereby giving a tough time for those daring to take the road.

Being an important point that intersects the highway, a lot of trucks, buses, cars and vans ply on this road and for a major part of the day it remains choked with vehicles struggling to find their way out. Oblivious to the problems caused by frequent traffic snarls, the market thrives offering anything from vegetables to live endangered species such as monitor lizards.

Residents from neighbouring colonies such as Ramachandrapuram, BHEL, Ashoknagar, Chandanagar, Doyen's Colony and Taranagar complain of severe inconvenience caused due to the market on such a major thoroughfare. "It's a daily travail that we seem destined to live with," says Radha Krishna Murthy, a retired teacher from Chandanagar. Adding to the woes of road users are the auto rickshaws, mainly seven-seaters, which try to criss-cross through the market at a high speed and in the process compounding the problem.

"None, not even the police appear to be interested in bringing some order here. Autos are a major cause for increasing accidents on this stretch," says Shyam Sunder, waiting to catch a bus at Lingampally bus stop.

Years ago, the Serilingampally municipality had announced plans for shifting the market to a new premises, a bit away from the highway, and set up a marketyard at a cost of Rs. 50 lakhs. Though the new market has been set up, the authorities apparently have failed in shifting the shops, push carts and roadside kiosks to the new premises.

J. Nageswar Rao, Commissioner, Serilingampally Municipality, however, reiterates plans on relocating the market at the earliest. "We have built 190 sheds at the Municipal Market and the numbering work is on," he says. Officials attribute the delay to works pertaining to drainage lines and internal roads, which are still incomplete.

One official informed that the contractor who was awarded the work passed away causing lot of delay. "We had to cancel the contract and issue it to others," he says. As the municipality authorities remain busy with excuses and fail to shift the crowded market, vehicle riders and road users continue to suffer in their bid to wend their way out of the chaos.

Inset to go with story

Readers are welcome to write about civic problems in their areas to the City Editor, The Hindu, Begumpet, Hyderabad - 16 or email to hydlife@thehindu.co.in or call 23403902.

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