Two-hr closure: Business as usual at Sector 26 Mandi in Chandigarh on Day 1

Ria Nag

Chandigarh, June 19

Vendors continued to operate during the non-operational hours from 12 noon to 2 pm at the Sector 26 fruit and vegetable market on the first day of the restrictions ordered by the UT Market Committee.

The cleaning of the mandi began right at 12 noon. However, no vegetable or fruit stall was shut down. Nearly 20 minutes later, staff from the Market Committee announced that all stalls needed to be covered to allow workers to clean the mandi premises properly.

Turning a deaf ear to the announcement, customers continued to make purchases while the vendors kept entertaining customers.

The committee’s trucks were deployed to collect garbage in bulk. No other vehicle, including trucks used by vendors for loading and unloading material, were allowed to enter the mandi.

In spite of the efforts made by the UT Administration to maintain sanitation, cleanliness was lacking. The waste dumps were left on the sides and not picked up immediately.

Vendors said even as the mandi was fairly crowded, there were comparatively less customers due to the ongoing heatwave.

Mohinder Singh, a vegetable vendor, shared, “The committee’s job is to get the mandi cleaned, and ours to earn money by selling vegetables.”