CHENNAI: The city corporation has requested owners of wholesale grocery stores at Kothwal Chavadi to shift to a different location, but traders say this is logistically impossible and will hit supplies to Chennai and other districts up to Trichy.
Three weeks ago, Greater Chennai Corporation shifted all retail shops in Kothwal Chavadi to a makeshift ‘market’ at the Broadway bus terminus to avoid crowds. But wholesalers were not disturbed as less than 40% of shops functioned and supply of salt, oil, dal and other items to different parts of the state continued.
Areas in and around the market in Royapuram were declared Covid-19 hotspots as the zone accounted for nearly one-third of the total positive cases in the city so far. This included a man from Davidson Street in Kothwal Chavadi. The corporation organised a meeting with wholesale traders from the market at Amma Malligai on Tuesday. A zonal-level worker and senior official at the corporation headquarters confirmed it.
R Pandiarajan, a trader who attended the meet, said, “Officials had proposed to shift the wholesale provision shops to a different location near Ennore. But we opposed it”.
At present, many wholesale traders reside in Royapuram and have rented/own godowns near their shops. If relocated, they could find it tough to shift stock from godown to shops in a distant location. Godowns can’t be created overnight. Even if infrastructure was created, finding employees at the new location will be another challenge, said A M Vikramaraja, president, Federation of Tamil Nadu Traders’ Association.
“You need at least six workers to load and unload a truck. How many trucks and workers can we deploy to move an entire wholesale market? If the corporation goes ahead with the plan, supplies will be hit across TN,” he added.
Baskar, who buys groceries for his Chrompet department store from Kothwal Chavadi, said rates of essentials had already increased and further decrease in supply will make things worse.
Despite attempts by TOI, corporation commissioner G Prakash was unavailable to comment on whether the civic body had formulated alternate plans to restrict people movement in these areas. A zonal-level employee said that even if relocated, efforts will be made to ensure supplies weren’t hit.
Three weeks ago, Greater Chennai Corporation shifted all retail shops in Kothwal Chavadi to a makeshift ‘market’ at the Broadway bus terminus to avoid crowds. But wholesalers were not disturbed as less than 40% of shops functioned and supply of salt, oil, dal and other items to different parts of the state continued.
Areas in and around the market in Royapuram were declared Covid-19 hotspots as the zone accounted for nearly one-third of the total positive cases in the city so far. This included a man from Davidson Street in Kothwal Chavadi. The corporation organised a meeting with wholesale traders from the market at Amma Malligai on Tuesday. A zonal-level worker and senior official at the corporation headquarters confirmed it.
R Pandiarajan, a trader who attended the meet, said, “Officials had proposed to shift the wholesale provision shops to a different location near Ennore. But we opposed it”.
At present, many wholesale traders reside in Royapuram and have rented/own godowns near their shops. If relocated, they could find it tough to shift stock from godown to shops in a distant location. Godowns can’t be created overnight. Even if infrastructure was created, finding employees at the new location will be another challenge, said A M Vikramaraja, president, Federation of Tamil Nadu Traders’ Association.
“You need at least six workers to load and unload a truck. How many trucks and workers can we deploy to move an entire wholesale market? If the corporation goes ahead with the plan, supplies will be hit across TN,” he added.
Baskar, who buys groceries for his Chrompet department store from Kothwal Chavadi, said rates of essentials had already increased and further decrease in supply will make things worse.
Despite attempts by TOI, corporation commissioner G Prakash was unavailable to comment on whether the civic body had formulated alternate plans to restrict people movement in these areas. A zonal-level employee said that even if relocated, efforts will be made to ensure supplies weren’t hit.
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