Deccan Chronicle 13.11.2013
KR Market: Where the BBMP’s garbage plan rots
Bengaluru: The
bustling Krishna Rajendra Market is one of the biggest vegetable
markets in the city, but the filth and unhygienic conditions make
visitors think twice before buying from here. Unauthorised vendors line
the road, blocking footpaths; piles of garbage everywhere and the
apparent BBMP apathy have turned the historic market into a nightmare.
The
market teems with people from all walks of life. On an average day, the
market produces 70 tonnes of garbage, mostly vegetable waste, which
stinks if not cleared on time. But no one seems to take responsibility
for keeping the market clean.
There are over 2,000 vendors
in the market who blame BBMP for not maintaining the area, while palike
officials point fingers at traders for being careless of their
surroundings. The old and filthy market has crumbling infrastructure
that has not been repaired in a long time.
Traders
occupy every nook and cranny of the marketplace, leaving very little
room for buyers to move around. Gauriyappa Y., a vendor, said, “The
place has no proper drainage system and lacks cleanliness.
During
monsoon, pavements are flooded and people can’t walk around. We have
complained to the health department several times, but there has been no
corrective action.” Vendors say there are no designated pits to dump
the waste so waste is strewn all over the pavements.
The
basic problem with KR Market is that majority of the shops have been
rented out, so traders feel no sense of ownership. “Shops have been
sublet and the BBMP does not have any database of the original tenants.
The
shops have been given out on low rents, but tenants have sublet them
for higher amounts. The palike gets only nominal returns and vendors,
who are enjoy low rates, should take up the cause and clean the market,”
argued Ashwin Mahesh, urban expert.
Vendors
say they are ready for any BBMP initiative, but express a general
mistrust towards the palike and its officials. “We will cooperate, but,
first they should solve the problems. The BBMP claims it spends Rs 30
lakh every month to clear garbage from the market. But does it monitor
the cleaning process?
The
garbage clearance is irregular, probably because the pourakarmikas are
not paid salaries regularly. BBMP officials, who have all the power to
take action against garbage contractors, have not pulled them up for not
cleaning the market,” said G.M. Divakar, president of the Bangalore
Flower Merchants’ Association.