People buy vegetables at the market. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Jan. 9: Traffic woes have become a regular affair at Chhatra Bazaar vegetable market, because of inadequate parking facilities.

There is a serious shortage of parking space for both two- and four-wheelers, resulting in perennial traffic jams.

The Chhatra Bazaar mandi caters to the bulk of the vegetable requirement of the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Thousands come to the market to purchase fresh vegetables from the vendors who have been selling their products on both sides of road for a long time.

The market has entry and exit points from Mahatab Road, Bajarakabati and College Square. Residents of the area complain that the market is always crowded and traffic jams a regular feature. “There are no identified parking lots where the consumers can park their vehicles and purchase vegetables from the mandi. As a result, all the people park their vehicles in the front of the vendors and but products. In the process they block the road,” said local resident Kaibalya Behera.

Not just humans, stray animals such as cows and dogs too come in the way of free-flowing traffic. Although there are restrictions on the entry of trucks and other heavy vehicles, all such rules are not followed.

“We have been eking out a living by selling vegetables along the roadside of the market for generations. Lack of parking space is forcing people to buy vegetables while parking their vehicles in front of shops,” a vendor said.

Garbage too poses a problem. Although steps are being taken to remove waste from the area, trails of stale vegetables and garbage are found strewn on the roadside.

Chhatra Bazaar market had got a new lease of life after the concrete road that was built leading from Mahatab Road to the market was cleaned using water pipes.

“Things were worse when there was no road. But market conditions have improved a lot ever since a concrete road was built leading from Mahatab Road to the Chhatrabazar market in 2000,” said Rajendra Rana (46), another local resident.

The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) had tried to improve market conditions by relocating the roadside vendors to a temporary open-air shed at Pilgrim road. The plan did not materialise, however, as the vendors came back to their roadside kiosks in the market a decade ago.

Devendra Sahu, secretary of the Chhatra Bazaar Traders’ Association, said a lot of plans for the development of the market had simply not materialised. “Chhatra Bazaar market is the oldest wholesale and retail market in the state. A lot of proposals were made — including construction of a market complex and proper parking lots. But nothing has materialised.”

Although the CMC is taking steps to clean the market area, not enough effort is being made, because of which the traders here have to clean the market every evening, Sahu added.

Contacted, CMC officials said that steps were being taken to maintain sanitation in the market, and conditions would improve soon. “CMC has engaged sweepers to clear garbage generated from the market. Things will improve after the introduction of mechanical sweeping very soon,” said N.C. Raj, city health officer, CMC.