A year after a new market yard was constructed at Kallianpur by the Udupi municipality at a cost of ₹ 1 crore to shift the weekly market and ease traffic congestion on National Highway 66, it is yet to start functioning.
A weekly market is being held on Sundays at Kallianpur-Santhekatte here for the last five decades. People from not just Udupi but also nearby areas, including Malpe, Tenkanidiyur, Brahmavar and Kolalgiri, come to this weekly market to purchase vegetables.
Since this is a popular weekly market, vegetable sellers from different places in Udupi district and also neighbouring districts come and sell their vegetables here. This weekly market starts as early as 5 a.m. and goes on till about 3.30 p.m.
As this weekly market is held next to NH 66, some vegetable sellers sell their vegetables on the service road, leading to traffic congestion on the highway.
“At times even vans of vegetable sellers bringing vegetables from Shivamogga and Hassan block the road. This creates traffic congestion at the Kallianpur Junction on NH 66,” said Municipal Commissioner Anand Kallolikar.
To deal with this problem, the Udupi municipality decided to construct a new market yard near a temple inside Kallianpur to shift the vegetable sellers. The area of the new market yard is spread over 17,500 square feet and it can accommodate 85 vegetable sellers.
“The construction of a water tank for the new market is on and will be completed in 15 days and inter-lock tiles have to be installed in its surrounding. We expect this market to start functioning in about a month. It will be safe for both vegetable sellers and customers,” Mr. Kallolikar said. According to the municipality, there is parking facility for about 20 four-wheelers near this new yard, but the residents think otherwise.
Damodar Ganiga, a resident, said that a lot of people come to purchase vegetables on Sundays. “There is not enough space here for parking vehicles of both vegetable sellers and customers. This defeats the very purpose of its construction,” he said.
Jaya K.N., another resident, said that the municipality should have constructed a one-storeyed structure with parking facility on the ground floor and the market on the first floor.