Traffic on Poonamallee High Road near Vanagaram was disrupted on Wednesday morning as several flower merchants took to the roads with complaints of losses in business and a lack of facilities in the temporary market.
Several wholesalers who were allotted space in the Vanagaram temporary market dumped flowers at the market as a mark of protest. It may be recalled that the market started functioning on August 20 at a site belonging to the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department.
While nearly 230 shops were allotted at the four-acre site, about 500 merchants who were earlier functioning in different parts of the city had also gathered there for trade. Wholesalers also alleged that there was no transparency in the rent collected from them.
Arul Visuvasam, a wholesaler said the site lacked basic amenities and there was a risk of the spread of COVID-19 at the market as safety norms, including physical distancing, were not followed. The market was overcrowded. “Many merchants had already settled in various parts of the city as smaller groups. We now have to bear more than 50% losses after setting up shops in Vanagaram without any basic facilities,” he said.
Fruits and vegetable markets were allotted temporary space in Madhavaram and Thirumazhisai immediately after the Koyambedu market, which turned into a COVID-19 hotspot, was closed. “Several merchants were forced to move into the Vanagaram market and had to bear with severe losses,” said A. Manohar, another wholesaler.
Merchants demanded that they be allowed to continue their trade from various parts of the city like earlier, until the flowers section in Koyambedu wholesale market is reopened. They dispersed after the Maduravoyal police held talks with them.