The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : At Koyambedu market, it's wholesale chaos

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 23, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

At Koyambedu market, it's wholesale chaos

Swahilya

Vegetable dealers are up in arms over the poor maintenance

RENDERED WASTE: Damaged tomatoes lie scattered on the ground at the Koyambedu wholesale market. — Photo: V. Ganesan

Chennai: The odour of putrefying tomatoes fills the air as one enters the Koyambedu market. Despite a series of representations to the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority on the upkeep of the market by vegetable, fruit and flower dealers' associations, the situation has not improved. "Farmers toil in the fields under such conditions to grow the vegetables that come to the market. But there is scant regard for us," remarks an irate vendor, pointing to the mounds of rotting vegetables.

In a letter to the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), S. Mythili of the Dhanalakshmi and Co., called the attention of the authorities to the pathetic state of shop E-95, since the time it was handed over.

"The iron rods (on the roof slab) are visible," the letter says,holding the CMDA responsible. "We spent Rs. 60 lakh on the shop, Rs. 28 lakh on maintenance and Rs. 1,36,000 towards insurance. Engineers who inspected the shop said they had found more sand than cement and said that it had to be immediately repaired."

"A leaking roof spells disaster for the perishable vegetables," V.R. Soundararajan, vice-president of the Licensed Traders' Association said.

And for the 10, 000 labourers staying in the complex, life certainly isn't easy.

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