Ward 33 residents start crusade to stop weekly veg market in their area

Nagpur: Buoyed by the success of anti-encroachment drive undertaken by municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, citizens of ward no. 33 in South-West Constituency are now up in arms to put an end to the weekly vegetable market set up on the main road and narrow internal lanes of their residential areas on every Monday.
Residents from Samrat Ashoka Colony, Kashi Nagar, Rameshwari Road, Dwarkapuri and Hawrapeth have requested the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and police department to ensure continuous drive against encroachments in their area.
The NMC, following mayor Sandip Joshi’s policy to take stringent action against encroachments on roads and footpaths, kicked-started its drive on January 1. Mundhe, who assumed charge in the NMC on January 28, started action against weekly vegetable markets on main and internal roads in residential areas from February 1.
The action committee formed by the citizens of ward no. 33, while appreciating the drive against vegetable markets across the city, pointed out problems faced in their area due to a weekly vegetable market for the last 12-13 years. They met Mundhe and all four corporators of the ward to request them to shut the market.
According to the committee, they staged a silent demonstration on February 10 and 17 extending support to the NMC’s drive while demanding a similar action in their area. “A few vendors manhandled some of the residents. On February 24, we did not allow vendors to set up stalls. NMC and police deployed their teams to shut the market on March 2. But few vendors created hurdles. NMC lodged a complaint with Ajni police station and offence was registered against 20 persons,” the committee stated.
NMC and police teams were in the area from 2pm to 9.30pm, after which few vendors set up the market again,” the citizens said.
The citizens added that continuous and stringent action is needed to keep a check on vendors who are backed by anti-social elements. A group supporting the vendors is threatening us. There is a racket behind setting up of this market, they said.
On February 21, ward’s corporators Manojkumar Gawande, Vandana Bhagat, Vishaka Bante and Bharti Bunde lodged complaints with Joshi demanding stringent action against the market.
According to Gawande, residents are suffering a lot due to the market. “Earlier, the market used to be set up only on Rameshwari main road but now stalls are coming up even on internal lanes which are just six-five metre wide. Entrance to residential units are blocked. Also, vendors dump garbage and urinate in the area. NMC should set up a daily market on an open area nearby,” he told TOI.