Overcrowding nixes Pangode fish auction

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A fish auction scheduled for early morning on Thursday at the Pangode fish market caused quite a stir late on the previous night. Local residents came out protesting as over 500 people crowded the market, hours before the permitted time. The district administration soon took charge of the situation and dispersed the market, leaving the fish auctioning suspended at the Pangode market until the lockdown is lifted.

The traders had earlier secured a permit from the city police to convene the market by 3am on Thursday for a couple of hours. That too with a maximum of five vehicles carrying fish. However, over ten vehicles arrived as early as 9 pm on Wednesday night, drawing an uncontrollable crowd. Residents grew worried about safety and called up the district administration and the police.The corporation officials and the Museum police arrived on the spot, asking fish vendors and auctioneers to disperse at the earliest. 

“The vendors responded amiably to our request,” Bindhu Sreekumar, Sasthamangalam councillor. 
“Later, they agreed to resume the auction after the lockdown is lifted. The permission from the city police was to hold the auction at a smaller scale. But the provisions were violated blatantly.”She said the concerns of local people cannot be dismissed, with drivers and cleaners of vehicles arriving with fish from other states seen resting at random. 

“We don’t know who they are or if they are carriers of the virus. Such a crowd is unacceptable too,” the councillor said. National Fishworkers Forum general secretary Peter T wants such events to be regulated and provided with an organised structure.“The unorganised working of inter-state fish trade and sales should change. All safety measures should be followed. The fish should be checked even before they reach these markets. They should be tested at the border itself.”The Forum wants even the local fish sellers to follow an organised pattern, he said.