Meat market near K R Market filthy

Renovation has stopped, say shopkeepers. No, we need more time, say BBMP staff

Work on renovating the famous meat market near KR Market, under the Bengaluru Smart City project, began almost two years ago.

The renovation was meant to provide clean and bright designated cubicles and parking with 44 slots for four-wheelers and 60 for two-wheelers. It was proposed in 2021, and work began in 2022, at the mutton, chicken, and fish market.

“Engineers came and took an overview of the building. They measured everything, took photographs and left,” says vendor Rasheed, adding that nothing much has happened since.

“Nothing was cleaned either, they have left the place to rot and we are using our own money to maintain it. There was only one person who was sweeping and cleaning the entire building when there should be 15-20 people from the BBMP. It is affecting our health,” adds Abdul, who also runs a shop there.

The unhygienic conditions affect the business, say vendors. “People would rather go to places with proper parking and hygiene. We are just selling cheap to hotels and restaurants to keep going,” Babu, who also runs a shop there, told Metrolife.

Beautification gone wrong
Mohammad Shabber Pasha sells poultry at the market. “They have just painted over the fungus on the walls and the water is still leaking from the pipes,” he says. The vendors also complain about frequent power cuts.

The market is a mess. The ground floor is dedicated to mutton, chicken and fish. The first floor is more isolated. Dogs and cats move about freely. The area is also rodent infested. There has been no change in the interiors since last year.

The pavements have holes and are not safe to walk on. The back of the building has plants growing out of the walls.

KR Market, the famed vegetable and fruit market, is located in the heart of the city between Avenue Road and Bengaluru Fort. It has over close to 1,000 vendors doing business.

The historic meat market, said to have been built in 1921, has a facade comparable to that of Mysuru’s Devaraja Market and Lansdowne Building. However, it has received little care from officials and has fallen into disrepair over the years. The building was previously up for demolition but the vendors resisted the idea.

“The renovation of the meat market has been cancelled,” claims GM Diwakar, president of the KR Market Association. “The vendors are not cooperating with the construction workers for the renovation.”

BBMP executive engineer in charge of the renovation, says that is not the case.

“About 75% of the work is complete. We have sought some more time. We expect the work to be done by July-end.
We have our own challenges but the project is not abandoned,” he told Metrolife. The officer did not want to be named.

(With inputs from Naveen Menezes)