The unseasonal rains which lashed the city over the past few days have exposed the chinks in the city’s infrastructure.
Particularly striking was the condition of Gandhi Market whose repulsive environment lay bares a sordid truth – the city doesn’t have the capacity to withstand even one short summer spell.
Ever since the current spell of rains began a few days ago, the market has turned into a cesspool with drainage overflowing at many places. The slabs that covered the drainage have been damaged at several places, forcing the wastewater to spill over into the foot path.
The pathetic condition of the Gandhi Market, which houses a large number of retail and wholesale vegetable shops, makes the shopping experience unwelcoming for many. Visitors to the market, both consumers and traders, find it difficult to stay clear of the sewage water. “We find it hard to keep our stock of vegetables from getting soiled by the sewage water. Though we encounter the problem every day, it becomes more acute during rainy days,” said a shopkeeper.
Enquiries revealed that the drainage line had been damaged at many places in the market due to the passing of loaded vehicles over them. Rotten vegetables, plastics, and wastes thrown into the drainage line choke it. Moreover, there is no proper disposal point for the drainage in the market.
A.Masi, a shopkeeper, said that though solid waste management had seen a marginal improvement in the recent past, the damaged sewage line spoils the whole environment of the market. It was a high time the Tiruchirappalli City Corporation studied the issue in depth to find a permanent solution, he said.
Stray animals, including goats, bullocks and cows, walking around the market in search of vegetable waste add to the problem, traders said and demanded the Corporation to carry out regular drive against such animals.
