Unit I vegetable market
Over 600 shopkeepers and vendors do business at this busy marketplace that is visited by over 10,000 persons every day. Cleanliness is a prime casualty here as most vendors do not have waste bins and continue to throw garbage everywhere. “This busy market stinks of stale vegetable and cleanliness seems to be the last priority,” said Jayanti Moharana, a shopper.
Unit IV vegetable and meat market
Parameters for getting a Swachh Bazaar tag include using plastic bags above 50 microns and proper disposal of wastes. However, vendors and shopkeepers here do not follow these criteria. “They continue to use recycled black polythene for non-vegetarian items. Such poly bags are not good for health and should be banned, but the civic body remains mum to the violation,” said environmentalist Alok Mohanty.
Unit II market building
Though it is one of the most visited markets because of the wide variety of stuff it offers, the vendors do not keep waste bins. The place is swept twice daily, but wastes are found dumped are many places. The lack of a public toilet makes people urinate in the open. “The absence of a toilet makes the situation worse for women. The civic body should do something about it. However, the market is clean compared to others,” said Dibakar Jena, a shopper.
Saheed Nagar vegetable market
This market is a lifeline for those living in this posh locality. The look, however, is of a rural market. The shops are small and the area is congested. The place lacks proper drainage and toilets. Being a congested market, sanitation is not proper. “The place should be revamped. Cleanliness is a major casualty here and the market stinks of stale vegetables and meat,” said Nilesh Pati, a resident.
RACE FOR CLEAN TAG
The housing and urban development department has directed the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation to identify major markets and declare those as Swachh Bazaar if they conform to certain parameters. Though the markets have a long way to go before they can be termed clean, the department has set a deadline of March 31.
With Bhubaneswar taking part in Swachh Survekshan III, a four-member central team is carrying out a survey to check whether the city meets the prescribed cleanliness parameters.
The team will also interact with the civic body officials and take a tour of the city, including its markets. It will also take inputs from citizens for the national level survey. However, the city is likely to lose crucial points as most of the markets are in poor shape.
“We have already directed shopkeepers and vendors to keep waste bins at their premises. We will ask our officials to visit the markets and sensitise the vendors about cleanliness. If they continue to violate, the vendors will be penalised,” said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.
Text by Sandeep Mishra, Pictures by Ashwinee Pati
