Thirumazhisai likely to become Koyambedu 2.0

Thirumazhisai likely to become Koyambedu 2.0

Yogesh Kabirdoss and A Prathap TNN

Chennai:12.05.2020

The situation at the Koyambedu wholesale market, which was shut after it emerged as a hotspot for Covid-19, could be repeated at the Thirumazhisai temporary facility where huge crowds gathered on Monday. Very few adhered to social distancing norms and the authorities remained mute spectators.

A majority of the visitors did not wear masks, while those that had them didn’t cover their noses and mouths, stylishly letting them hang by the neck. And the rule of maintaining the mandatory six feet between two individuals was thrown to the wind. No circles were drawn before the market opened at 1am and the 12,000 traders got ready to sell produce brought by at least 2,000 mini-trucks. By 9am, they managed to sell around 3,500 tonnes of vegetables valued at Rs 1.5 crore-Rs 2 crore, said market sources.

Urban development experts said the authorities should have set up temporary wholesale facilities at three different locations.

K P Subramanian, retired professor of urban engineering at Anna University, said allowing a large gathering at a single location could lead to replicating the mistakes made at Koyambedu. “Concentration of activities and people at one place, even for a short period, causes problems, particularly in the context of Covid-19. The government should have adopted a strategy on the lines of special buses being operated from different terminuses such as Tambaram and Poonamallee to clear extra rush during festival seasons for the temporary wholesale market as well. They should have set up markets in multiple locations,” he said.

When contacted, an official of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), which is now maintaining the temporary market at Thirumazhisai, said that all necessary measures were taken to ensure all rules would be followed. “In fact, the only reason we decided to establish the market in the spacious land parcel at Thirumazhisai was that social distancing can be ensured,” the official said. Vehicles entering the market were disinfected and people were scanned using thermal scanners, he added.

POINT OF CONCERN: The temporary market at Thirumazhisai began operations on Monday when very few adhered to distancing norms. The authorities remained spectators