Thousands of workers descend on the Nunna mango market during the season. The Nunna market is unique because only mango is traded for about two to three months in summer. This year the season began on April 1. Over 5,000 mutta workers from interior villages of Srikakulam and Prakasam districts come here to eke out a living by grading, cleaning, packing and loading a wide variety of mangoes brought here from West Godavari, Khammam and the upland areas of Krishna district.
The workers are a neglected lot with neither the mango traders nor the Marketing Department looking to their requirements. The mango traders say that it was the responsibility of the marketing department which collects the cess to provide basic amenities to the work force. The marketing cess goes mostly to the government and the local marketing committee which has expenditures of its own.
The Marketing department has however installed two reverse-osmosis (RO) plants to provide drinking water to the work force.
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The groundwater pumped from the tube wells in the Nunna market is hard water with high salinity. Those who consume it find it salty.
Nunna Marketing department supervisor Srinivas says that between 7,000 and 10,000 workers come to the market in search of work during the season. The two RO plants have the capacity to provide 3,500 litres of water per hour. The demand for drinking water is apparently much more if the long line of empty vessels kept to be filled up is an indication.
CITU general secretary Muzafar Ali said that the department gets revenue to the tune of Rs. 40 lakh in a season, but facilities being provided to the workforce at the market were not in tune with the income.
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