It’s wholesale only at Koyambedu market

Retail outlets to remain shut to bring down crowding

29/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

At a safe distance: A Chennai Corporation health staff taking samples of a worker in a mobile unit at Koyambedu market on Tuesday. K. PICHUMANIK. Pichumani

The wholesale vegetable market alone will function at the Koyambedu market complex from Wednesday.

This was the decision taken during a second round of meetings between government officials and representatives of various traders associations on Tuesday. D. Karthikeyan, member secretary, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, was among the officials who participated.

According to wholesale traders, it was decided to stick with wholesale vegetable trade as the number of retailers is larger.

In light of the decision, all retail shops will remain shut. About 400-500 wholesale shops will carry on trade till 10 a.m. This is expected to bring down the crowd by 50%. It was also suggested that space would be provided in other areas such as Aminjikarai for retail vegetable trade.

Meanwhile, the Chennai Corporation began collecting samples from traders in the Koyambedu wholesale market to test for COVID-19. The civic body sent a mobile unit on Tuesday to the market following reports of COVID-19 cases in the market.

Contact tracing has begun in the market, officials said. According to them, at least 12 persons associated with the market have tested positive.

On Tuesday, the vegetable market wore a deserted look as many shops were shut.

Fruit merchants have decided to stop sourcing produce to the market from Wednesday. S. Srinivasan, president, Chennai Fruits Commission Agents Association, said: “We are planning to stop sourcing fruits from Wednesday till May 1. It will be difficult to shift trade to other areas like Madhavaram. We will sell the stock that arrived on Tuesday.”

On an average, the fruit market gets 1,300 tonnes of fruits.

It was reduced to 200 tonnes on Tuesday. “We have more fruit retailers in the market and many have already shut shop. Fruit wholesalers depend on retailers for sales,” he said.

In a bid to prevent scarcity of essential commodities in the city, the Corporation is planning to set up markets in bus stands and playgrounds. “We have compiled a list of playgrounds and bus stands in the city. If the government decides to shift the Koyambedu wholesale market, we will provide space for markets in playgrounds and bus stands. A final decision will be taken at a meeting to be held by the Chief Secretary later in the evening today,” said a Corporation official.