The usually bustling Koyambedu wholesale market wore a deserted look on Tuesday as traders downed their shutters in support of the demand to set up the Cauvery Management Board.
Many traders at the fruit, vegetable and flower market joined a token hunger strike organised by the Chennai Fruits Commission Agents Association at the market complex. Communist Party of India leader R.Nallakannu took part in the fast by the traders.
About 3,000 shops in the complex remained shut. On an average, the vegetable and fruits sections alone do daily business worth ₹40 crore.
Nearly 800 vehicles that had arrived with produce from States, including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, unloaded the produce only by late evening.
S.Srinivasan, president of the Chennai Fruits Commission Agents Association, said: “Our trade is based on agriculture and water, and we wanted to bring awareness about the importance of the issue.”
The one-day strike did not seem to have affected retail traders as many of them had stocked up in advance. The market returned to normal by late evening. But traders said business in full swing would resume only by early Wednesday.
The complex gets nearly one lakh visitors daily.
