Garbage piles up at Central Vegetable Market at Mattuthavani in Madurai on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: ASHOK R
The central vegetable market near Maatuthavani in the city is slowly turning into a ‘Vellakal’, apprehend traders after the Corporation authorities have been dumping truck loads of the garbage here.
Speaking to The Hindu, the Central Market Federation president N. Chinnamayan said on Thursday that in the last fortnight alone, the dumping of waste through tipper lorries had increased manifold. Huge trucks which can carry around 10 tonnes are arriving here round the clock.
Earlier, the vehicles on contract brought in vegetable waste. However, of late, all types of waste collected from hotels and hospitals were also being dumped here. “The stench is unbearable and the air is filled with unpleasant smell”, he said.
The huge mountain of garbage dump now looks like another Vellakal, the spot, where the city’s garbage is dumped by the Corporation, Mr Chinnamayan said and added that everyday, 10,000 to 15,000 people, including merchants and public visit the market place.
Unclean water tanks
Though there are about 12 to 15 water tanks placed in the market for the benefit of the public, only four or five or used by the visitors. While the tanks which are not functional are broken, those which are being used have not been cleaned at least for over three years, Mahendran, a merchant in the market said.
The open urination around the corners of the market was yet another unhygienic practice followed by the drivers and the merchants who came from far and wide to unload the consignments. Lack of proper toilets and water facilities have forced the public to resort to open defecation.
Ramanathan, a regular visitor from K Pudur, who purchases vegetables on a weekly basis, said that though the civic authorities charged rentals from shopkeepers, the infrastructural facilities were far from satisfactory.
The merchants also said that the civic authorities were keen on collecting entry fee for the vehicles, but refused to spend money on the road. When a philanthropist came forward to donate ₹3 crore for the market’s upkeep, the Corporation authorities discouraged such contribution.
The Corporation was focused on collecting the rentals promptly and also imposed hike of 15 per cent once in three years.
Officials say
While the officials in the Health department in Madurai Corporation did not speak, when contacted, a sanitary inspector however, said that the merchants using the market refused to cooperate with the conservancy workers. When shopkeepers were told to leave 10 kg of waste, they dump in bulk quantities.
On many occasion, the vegetable waste generated from the market was so huge that the private contractors engaged by the Corporation dumped them near the market. He denied dumping of medical waste and said that the roads would be laid soon.
Published – July 31, 2025 09:42 pm IST
