Tiruchi City Corporation has banned the operation of makeshift weekly vegetable markets in residential areas in the city.
The move comes after some traders, who have rented the Corporation’s shops in markets, demanded the authorities to ban the weekly markets citing a fall in their business.
Following this, the Mayor has instructed the officials not to permit the makeshift markets on vacant land adjacent to the roads and has warned of strict action against violators. However, the civic body has permitted the vendors from rural areas selling vegetables in pushcarts and motorised vehicles to continue their business.
According to the officials, the vendors have objected to these weekly markets, as sales of vegetables in shops and markets dwindled after the mushrooming of these markets in residential areas. “The traders are paying us a monthly rent, but there is no revenue from the weekly markets. As a solution, we have suggested the weekly market vendors rent shops in markets managed by the Corporation,” said a senior official.
Waste generated from these makeshift markets continues to be a burden for the conservancy workers. “Vegetable waste strewn on roadsides lure stray cattle, causing bottlenecks. Since the markets are operated during the evenings, the waste is not cleared until the next morning,” he added.
Earlier, the civic body issued a circular banning the conduct of weekly markets in Zone V at Lingam Nagar, Fathima Nagar, Woraiyur Housing Unit, Ramalinga Nagar Extension, and Thillai Nagar.
Meanwhile, some residents expressed disappointment over the ban on weekly markets in their locality. “We were able to buy fresh vegetables at nominal prices without going to crowded vegetable markets. Residents from the outskirts have been easily accessing them instead of travelling a long distance to the markets in the city,” said S. Rajasekaran, a resident of Ramachandra Nagar.
