Damaged five years ago, Shimla fruit mandi not yet restored

Fruits were sold and purchased at the Bhattakuffar mandi in Shimla under the shadow of fear and anxiety over the past five years. The mandi, one of the largest fruit markets in the state, was wrecked by a landslide five years ago. The situation hasn’t changed in all these years, as stones continue to roll down from the hills behind the mandi, causing anxiety to commission agents, labourers and farmers.

“For the past two days, stones have been falling from the hills quite frequently. We have asked all arhtiyas and others in the mandi to stay alert,” said Pratap Chauhan, president of the Arhtiyas Association. “It’s undoubtedly risky and we have told the arhtiyas to trade at the market yard at their own risk,” he added.

Meanwhile, APMC chairman Devanand Verma said that that efforts were being made to secure the mandi but without success. “We had approached experts to stabilise the strata through nailing, but it didn’t prove very successful. They could not find hard rock in the hills where nails could hold,” he added.

Verma said that the option of constructing crate walls behind the market yard is being explored. “If crate walls are constructed, these will stop rubble as and when it comes down from the hills before hitting the market yard,” he added.

During the BJP rule earlier, experts from IITs were called to secure the site but the proposals made by them were reportedly too costly. Efforts were also made to find an alternative space for the mandi in and around the city, but this plan, too, fizzled out.

“The Marketing Board must have earned a massive amount as market fee from the mandi since it was inaugurated in 2008. Why can’t a fraction of that amount be used to make the mandi secure,” said an arhtiya.

Marketing Board asked to step in

The Marketing Board must have earned a massive amount as market fee from the mandi since it was inaugurated in 2008. Why can’t a fraction of that amount be used to make the mandi secure. An arhtiya