Chandigarh: Sector 26 mandi bares ugly side of City Beautiful
Can Chandigarh be truly called a “Smart City” when its only fruit, vegetable and grain market in Sector 26 here has been neglected for years and its condition has only gone from bad to worse?
Potholes filled with rainwater, broken roads full of slush, waste dumps, stagnant dirty water and chaotic traffic conditions are some of the major problems visitors to the mandi encounter on a routine basis.
Playing with people’s health
City residents have to consume vegetables and fruits procured from this dirty place. You can imagine what affect it will have on their health. No proper sweeping is done and waste is not lifted regularly. The mandi has always remained neglected. — Dalip Sharma, Area councillor
Barring one, all entry and exit points have broken roads, which are filled with rainwater these days and are an open invitation to mishaps. Insanitary conditions prevail here as rotten vegetables and fruits are dumped at various spots.
Parking is the first issue that visitors have to deal with. There is no demarcation of parking lots and no one manages vehicles entering the mandi premises. During peak hours, it becomes difficult to get in or out of the mandi.
“For years, the UT Administration has failed to pay attention to the mandi, which otherwise could have been their priority. We are forced to buy items of daily needs amid foul smell and in such unhygienic conditions. It is hell-like situation here these days,” said Mamta Kumari, a visitor from Sector 28.
Area councillor Dalip Sharma said, “People of the City Beautiful have to consume vegetables and fruits procured from this dirty place. You can imagine what affect it will have on their health. No proper sweeping is done and waste is not lifted regularly. The mandi has always remained neglected. After I raised the issue with the new MC Commissioner during the last House meeting, the work of laying paver blocks has started.” Illegal vendors are also having a field day at the mandi with no check from the authorities.
A vendor told Chandigarh Tribune, “Garbage is lifted only from the places where vendors are paying for it.”
When contacted, Rupesh Kumar, Secretary, State Agricultural Marketing Board, Chandigarh, said, “The situation at the mandi has improved as compared to the past.”
Paviter Singh, who recently took the charge as the Administrator of the board, added, “We have been able to raise the mandi fee. As far as infrastructure is concerned, paver blocks are being laid. For sanitation, we are going to increase the number of workers and machinery under the new tender. For encroachments, we are going to delegate powers to our staff as it was the MC job earlier. To end chaos, we are going to identify slots for parking area and depute staff. We will also fence the lots.”
Officials said the permanent solution to the perennial issue was shifting the market to the new Sector 39 premises. The UT Administration is moving on a snail’s pace on that aspect as well.
