In power for the first time in West Bengal, the BJP-led government is making a splash in several arenas. Of these, one is quite notable: the markets in Kolkata.
She has announced a series of measures to improve sanitation, infrastructure, and safety, while warning traders of fines for violations. Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul has been conducting surprise inspections at the markets. On several occasions, she was also seen warning hawkers for encroaching on the pavements. On social media, as her actions draw mixed reviews, NDTV interacted with vendors and consumers in some of Kolkata’s busiest markets for a reality check of the markets’ conditions. Encroachment is a major issue in Hogg Market, a massive market complex and an iconic shopping destination in the heart of Kolkata. Popularly known as New Market, its problems aren’t new. Traders here often take to the streets over encroachments in the century-old heritage market. On the other side of their complaints are the hawkers who often take over pavements and large sections of the roads. The situation worsens ahead of major festivals like Durga Puja. With pre-puja shopping at its peak, even the widest of roads get choked, as buyers try to find their way through a sea of hawkers. “I have been coming here for many years. Hawkers occupying streets indeed pose a problem. Successive governments have come and gone without taking any measures. They need to be rehabilitated. On the contrary, Nilam Roy, another shopper, is happy with how the market is. “I have always loved New Market just the way it is. Its current state is exactly right. New Market has a unique character of its own. Soma Chakraborty, who had come from Howrah, echoes a similar view. “Let things remain as they are. I want to see the traditional New Market as I have always known it. I don’t want it to change. I have been visiting New Market, haggling with the hawkers, and buying from various shops since childhood,” she adds. A few kilometres away from New Market is the bustling Jadu Babur Bazar in Bhowanipore. Connected to Rani Rashmoni, one of Bengal’s zamindars, the market has seen generations pass. So did its problems.
Shanti Lal Bhattacharya, 55, who visits this market for puja shopping every year, is familiar with the problem.
The area also needs a complete overhaul,” he says. The roadside hawkers are precisely what define it,” Roy says.
Over the years, he has witnessed many changes at this market and now has a request for the new government: renovation. “This market is very old. It used to belong to Rani Rashmoni Estate. But it has not undergone any renovation for a long time. Parking is a major issue here. For Sima Chowhan, a buyer who has been visiting this market for decades, monsoons are when it becomes a nightmare. Everything is fine otherwise, but water accumulates at the back of the market every monsoon. Gopal Nayak, a local trader, points out another major issue: the encroachment by hawkers. “My shop is located right at the front. If a customer parks their bike on the street for even a minute, the police show up and issue a fine. Yet, the footpaths remain occupied by hawkers. At Kolkata Lake Market, cleanliness is a major issue for the shoppers. The market should be clean. The shopkeepers should look into it. In Bataitalla market in South Howrah, people are troubled by garbage, stench, and waterlogging. A common scene is of people often covering their noses while passing by the market. Efforts are already underway to encourage people to reduce the use of plastics and throw garbage in designated areas. Shankar Sarkar, who comes here every day to buy fresh vegetables, points out several other issues: spillage of water, especially during the monsoon, and flies and mosquitoes seen at vegetable vendors. There is no parking space for bikers. Hygiene at food sellers is also concerning, adds Shyam Kishore Singh, a local. The locals demand that the administration arrange regular cleaning, garbage disposal, drainage, and proper parking space in the market.
Sushil Biswas has been running a shop here for the past 40 years. “I have been coming to this market to shop for the past 40 years.
It would be excellent for us if the new government were to look into all aspects and renovate the market,” he says. That needs to be changed,” she says. This needs to be addressed first,” says Nayak. Samonya Roy Chowdhury, a school teacher, says, “Cleanliness is a big problem in this market. Robin Dolui, from Shalimar, says the market has expanded over the years, and congestion and rising traffic have added to their problems.
