Nehru Market in Karaikal to be rehabilitated

The building was constructed in 1865

Set for a new look: Work on new building at the Nehru Market, will be taken up shortly. It took about four months to demolish the French-built old building whose structural stability turned unsafe at Karaikal.

The Karaikal municipality has demolished the French-built Nehru Market in the heart of the town due to structural instability following thick growth of vegetation and the banyan trees in the area had spread their roots.

The building was constructed in 1865 on an acre of land on the Tirunallar Road during the French period and was christened after Jawaharlal Nehru during the post-Independence period. The large tiled structure got weakened over the past decades and the Puducherry Government had sanctioned ₹ 15 crore got from the World Bank, for the market.

An official source told

The Hindu on Thursday that the new structure would have the same features on the lines of the French culture. “Even the Malabar tiled-structure at the ceiling will be retained. There will be no change in the number of shops too. Only 117 shops, allotted in the original market, would be constructed,” the official said.

The traders in the market were shifted to an adjoining place about four years ago. Though the demolition was planned earlier, the work was delayed as a decision on the selection of agency for reconstructing was not taken. “It was originally planned to construct it through the Public Works Department. But since the Municipality had the necessary expertise, the work was allotted to the Karaikal Municipality,” the source said.

The Municipality has handed over the site to the Project Implementation Agency (tsunami) for constructing the market. It has been planned to complete the work in about two years.