The immensely popular Indian Premier League in its tenth year continues to jostle for space with an older but more pedestrian tradition in the Uppal-Habsiguda area on match days.
A vegetable market, known locally as Monday Market, is set up along the Uppal-NGRI stretch late afternoons every Monday, serving residents of Habsiguda, Tarnaka, Nacharam, Uppal and other surrounding areas.
The more than three-decade-old market used to be blamed for unmanageable traffic congestions on the road before it was widened for Metro Rail development. Though wider, traffic movement on the stretch chokes during peak hours and comes to halt on days a match is played at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
“There is no market today due to the match. This space will be used for parking,” said a fruit vendor, one of the few who wheeled his carts to the spot on Monday morning. Another cart vendor hurriedly selling cold drinks said the cops would be out any minute.
“I wish to stay on to sell to the match crowd but it would be difficult as the police would drive us out. For me and other vendors, missing even half-a-day’s earnings affects,” he said. Both these vendors did not wish to be identified and said they are not part of the vegetable sellers community that arrives to sell vegetables.
“For more than three decades, sale of vegetable and fruit happens every Monday. For those like us who prefer fresh farm produce, this market is our source. While sport should be encouraged, it is essential to also accommodate such markets as many depend on it for their livelihoods,” opines P. Bhargavi, a Habsiguda resident.
For the police, traffic management takes priority on match days. “If there was open space available in the area, we could have accommodated the vendors. But on the day of a match, having the market would result in chaos,” a local police official spoke without wanting to be named.
He explained that the market grew to unmanageable proportions in the past and they tried in vain to find a open land to accommodate it.
Sunrisers Hyderabad played Mumbai Indians on Monday evening which saw a massive turnout. It was the seventh of eight city matches, including May 21 final and the second Monday game this IPL season.
