Caught between devil & deep sea on Madiwala Market Road

Caught between devil & deep sea on Madiwala Market Road

BBMP should give priority to construction of paved footpaths and keep them free from encroachments

Hawkers, trucks leave little space for pedestrians



A walk along the Madiwala Market Road will raise a question in minds: "Where are the footpaths?" The space originally left for pedestrians is occupied by makeshift shops and trucks parked to unload vegetables. It is like an extension of Madiwala market.
As makeshift shops block the way, pedestrians are forced to walk on the road. As they keep crossing the road, traffic jams are common. Students are the most affected.
"I travel a long distance from home quite early to reach college on time. But on many occasions, I arrived late due to jams on the market road caused by the shoppers crossing the road. Even the traffic police is helpless," said Kester Karat, a student of Kripanidhi College.
Students complain that in the mornings, trucks block their way as workers unload vegetables from them.
Vehicular and pedestrian traffic is so heavy during mornings and evenings that police often find it difficult to manage the them.
"I try my best in directing the traffic. Still, there is no free movement of vehicles or pedestrians because of the vendors occupying the pavements," Sanjay Kumar, a traffic police posted at the Madiwala signal, said.
As pedestrians struggle through the limited space along the road, the stench rising from the pile-ups of rotten vegetables forces them to cover their noses. Regular shoppers and pedestrians are concerned about the unhygienic surroundings.
"Flies infest the marketplace and mosquitoes breed in the dirty water collected there. No one bothers to clean up the place. Due to this, visitors easily fall sick," said Vidya Gopal, a homemaker.
Hawkers, who are blamed for the mess-up, defended themselves.
"I've been selling flowers for years in this market. This is my second home, my bread and butter. Although it's dirty, smelly and unorganised, we still get customers and make a living. Where else can we go?" said B Rameshwari, a vendor.
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) should make the market more organised by setting up shops under one roof to accommodate vendors too. Once the hawkers are drawn to one point, pedestrian and vehicular movements could be streamlined.
The BBMP should construct paved footpaths along all roads and keep them free from encroachments for the safety of citizens. They should make arrangements to clear the garbage from the market every day and keep the surroundings clean. By Letitia Nathaniel, Denise baptists and Faram K razaqh