Mudigere shandy lacks facilities

The weekly shandy market in Mudigere lacks basic facilities and this is inconveniencing the vendors, customers and local residents.

The shandy market was held every Friday, near Hire Deviramma Bana near the bus stand, five decades ago. As the number of vendors and customers increased, it was shifted to a vacant land at Bapunagara on College Road in Mudigere. Owing to unscientific projects, the shandy has not seen any development for the last five decades.

A majority of the drains in the shandy market are filled with the garbage from the shandy. When it rains, all the garbage flows on the road, inconveniencing the residents.

Fish and meat are sold on one side of the shandy maidan. Owing to the lack of cleanliness in disposing of the waste from fish and meat, the entire area reeks of a nauseating smell.

Though there is a vast area for the shandy market, many still sell there produce beside the road, thus inconveniencing the pedestrians and motorists.

Although 10 sheds were constructed at the shandy market maidan, the sheds have become a ground for the locals to park their vehicles and shelter for destitutes and beggars.

Over 80 destitutes stay in these sheds and they attend nature’s call in open, making the entire area cry for cleanliness.

The Mudigere Town Panchayat had constructed two overhead tanks in the shandy market to supply water to the market at an estimated cost of Rs 10 lakh, in 2010. Unfortunately, water is not supplied to date. As a result, weeds have grown all over the tanks. The vendors have to collect water from borewell at Bapunagara and Vidyanagara.

The ban on single-use plastic is not implemented effectively in the shandy market. The auto drivers have been demanding a full-fledged auto stand near the vacant site near the sheds of the shandy, to ferry customers from the market.

Local residents have urged the authorities to identify a place for selling fruits, vegetables, fish and meat separately on five acres shandy market maidan.

All the waste generated from the stalls should be converted to compost by installing a compost pit at the ground. A community toilet should be constructed for the benefit of vendors and customers who visit the market, they demanded.

Nagarajaiah, a vendor, said, “Who will listen to our woes? Destitutes who sleep in the sheds keep the area untidy.”

Ramu, another vendor, said, “Water should be supplied to the shandy. The drains should be cleaned. There is a need to give priority to cleanliness.”

Town Panchayat Chief Officer Kalavathi said, “Water supply will be arranged to the shandy yard. Vendors who sell beside the road will be sent back to the shandy ground with the help of police. Measures will also be taken to construct a community toilet.”