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Wholesale fruit market cries for attention
The wholesale fruit market located in Kedareswarapet, Vijayawada, is languishing without basic amenities and poor hygienic conditions. Built in six- acres of land about 20 years ago by fruit merchants, the number of shops gradually increased from 60 to 230 in two decades.
Vijayawada: The wholesale fruit market located in Kedareswarapet, Vijayawada, is languishing without basic amenities and poor hygienic conditions. Built in six- acres of land about 20 years ago by fruit merchants, the number of shops gradually increased from 60 to 230 in two decades. Though the shops and business activity increased, there are no facilities for the 3,000 odd workers and hundreds of customers visit the market for purchase of fruits.
- The biggest fruit market in city has no toilets ordrainage facility to let out the storm water
- Dirty roads create havoc in rainy season
- Garbage and rotten fruits create horrible conditions for traders, customers, workers and nearby residents
Trucks carrying all varieties of fruits come to the fruit market from many parts of India. Nearly 20 trucks come to the market every day with loads of apples, pine apple, water melon, pomegranate, sweet lime, papaya, grapes and other varieties of fruits depending on the season.
The wholesale market is in pathetic condition due to lack of basic amenities like toilets, drinking water, drainage facility, parking etc. Consequently, output of waste packing materials and rotten fruits are also increasing in the market. The VMC is collecting the garbage and shifting to outskirts every day.
During the rainy season, rain water stagnates in the market due to lack of proper drainage facility. Stink and stagnation of mud on the roads are the two biggest problems being faced by traders, workers and customers.
The wholesale market has no toilet facility for 3000 odd hamalis, who play crucial role in loading and unloading of fruits. More than 1000 fruit petty vendors from every nook and corner of the city come to the market to purchase fruits in the only wholesale market. These customers are suffering due to lack of toilets or washrooms.
Men go to nearby Elur canal for urgent needs. Many petty women traders are eking their livelihood by selling fruits come to the market to purchase fruits. They have no option but to suffer due to lack of toilets.
N Chiranjeevi Rao, Secretary of the wholesale fruit traders Association, said they had been asking the VMC for construction of the toilet in the market for many years but there is no response yet. He said people’s representatives have to play an important role to address the problem. He said the Association is not in a position to construct the toilets due to financial constraints.
B Sudhakar, a worker in the fruit market said they go to Elur canal bund for urination due to lack of toilets and washroom facility. A VMC official said the market has been constructed by traders and their Association should take care of their workers. He felt the Civic body or NGOs like Sulabh International can construct toilets to meet the needs of the workers or customers.
By MD AMEEN
