Call to revive Uzhavar Sandhai shut for a decade

The market in Kaveripattinam, Krishnagiri, has remained inoperative

The Uzhavar Sandhai (farmers’ market) in Kaveripattinam, Krishnagiri, has remained inoperative for over a decade. With the regime change in the State, fresh demands have risen for its revival.

The Uzhavar Sandhai was built in 2009, with 24 stalls and toilet facilities. The two years it flourished between 2009 and 2010, farmers brought in their produce. But after that the market slowly fell apart for a slew of reasons, says an official.

The MGR tomato market on Palacodde highway and functioning barely 200 meters away from the Uzhavar Sandhai was slowly turned into a multi-vegetable market. In addition, hawkers set up stalls on either side of Palacodde highway rendering the commute into the town to the farmers market superfluous.

Somewhere along the line, new buildings owned by Kaveripattinam municipality to house various offices, including the office for Hogenakkal drinking water scheme came up blocking the view to the farmers market. Soon, farmers stopped bringing in their produce forcing the officials to shut it down.

For a brief time in 2016, attempts were made to revive the Uzhavar Sandhai, says the official. However, it also became a turf struggle between the local AIADMK and DMK groups, with hawkers on Palacodde mainroad enabled to continue to spread out stalls, allegedly by the AIADMK.

“Two markets cannot function side by side. The way out is to convert the MGR market that is closer to Palacode highway into Uzhavar Sandhai or close it down to revive the Uzhavar Sandhai,” opines the official.