Stray cattle foraging on vegetable waste along the perimeters of Gandhi Wholesale Vegetable Market in Dindigul gives a foretaste of a litany of woes waiting to be shared by the vendors.
The market with about 300 shops lacks basic amenities forcing many stall owners to put up shop on the fringes of the market choking vehicular movement on Taluk Office Road and Kottaikulam Road. This causes traffic jams during peak hours, market-stall vendors complain.
The inside of the market wears a deserted look in contrast to the bustling activity outside as crowds throng roadside vendors as they are easily accessible.
“This is the main problem. We have paid about ₹3 lakh as deposit and set up stalls, only to dump away huge unsold commodities at the end of the day due to low sales,” said an aged vegetable seller
With no proper garbage disposal yard or system, vendors are forced to dump the waste generated in the amrket into the dry canal running along the market.
They also complain that they have been instructed not to dump the waste on the sides of the entrances. “Where else do they expect us to discard the waste if there is no proper garbage disposal yard?,” one of the sellers says
“There is no exclusive parking space for vendors and customers, hence it is a chaotic scene round the clock,” said the wife of M. Kanakaraj, a vegetable seller.
Stall owners complain of erratic water supply at the recently opened pay-and-use toilets on the market premises. “We have never had a drinking water facility on the premises,” added a stall owner.
Along the entrance on the Kottaikulam Road, abandoned construction work has left iron rods sticking out uncovered where cattle binge on leftovers around them, posing a safety threat.
Cracks on walls
The market inaugurated in February 2021 by the then Forest Minister C. Srinivasan, in a hurry, already has widening cracks at many places on the walls while the a few stalls have chipped floors. “In the evenings, one bay of the market without a proper entrance turns into a hub for anti-social elements. A lot of our shop items have been stolen and damaged. We fear the drunk and stay silent and bear the loss,” said another vegetable seller.
A shopkeeper said anti-social elements use the place at night despite the presence of South police station 100 metres away.
All Vegetable Traders Association president, D. Sampath said all the issues have been represented to the Corporation officials and they have assured us solutions.
