Where chaos reigns supreme

Where chaos reigns supreme


Unauthorised hawkers rule outside while vendors in KR Market stare at empty corridors.
Shatarupa Chaudhuri and Aniruddha ChowdhuryFirst Published : 04 Mar 2009 09:31:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 04 Mar 2009 12:40:14 PM IST
BANGALORE: Adin fills KR Market from the early hours of the morning till quite late in the evening. There is a lot of hustle bustle, jostling, shouting, and bargaining. One would think that business is just fine. But it more of chaos, and when you manage to enter the market after dodging rows of vendors and piles of garbage outside, one would find problems gnawing at the very existence of KR Market.
It is one of the oldest markets in the city with a floor area that can compete with the glitzy malls. The one big difference -- it is unkempt and ill-maintained.
The roads leading to the market are congested and difficult to negotiate.
In fact, there is no proper lane leading to the market, and the inadequate street lighting is also a deterrant in the evening.
This, coupled with parking woes, drive away customers.
The members of the General Merchants’ Association of KR Market are vehement in their complaints. “The market is dying and there is no one to save us,” said a member. “There are 1,200 shops here and nearly 45% of them will be forced to shut down in a few months. We request the chief minister and the corporation to restore the shops.” The association says no officer, MLA or councillor has visited the market to inspect its condition. Roshan Ali of the association said, “The market does not have proper planning. There are so few bathrooms for so many shopkeepers and that too, they are never cleaned.
There is no adequate water facility, which adds to the trouble.” A bigger problem is posed by unauthorised hawkers who crowd outside.
An association member said, “The corporation takes ‘hafta’ from them and lets them sit there. So even the few customers who come here, buy from them.
Also, the hawkers block the passage to the market and it becomes difficult for customers to get in. And instead of helping, the police and authorities extort money from us. If we complain, they shut us up.” One vegetable vendor said that a police officer’s ‘collection’ is anything between Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 a day.
Rising costs (including rents, maintenance, extortion), dampening business, especially since the last few months, unclean environment and dismissive attitude from the authorities are spelling doom to what could have been a one-stop shop for city dwellers.
The merchants can only hope that someone will come to help.