Apni mandis in Chandigarh were introduced in the 1980s to give residents direct access to fresh fruits and vegetables at affordable prices. But now, they have become a daily mess with poor management. Lack of basic facilities such as proper parking, mobile toilets, and water supply has left both shoppers and farmers grappling with daily inconvenience.
Spread across 14 locations in the city on fixed days, these markets host over 300 farmers and vendors, per day, from Punjab and Chandigarh, offering produce directly from the fields.
First introduced by the Punjab Mandi Board in the 1980s, apni mandis were meant to be a farmer-friendly, consumer-centric initiative. The Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) also began setting up parallel day markets, allowing vendors to sell vegetables and other items, at the same sites from 2005 onwards. Besides, the Chandigarh Agricultural Marketing Board also sets up apni mandis at six locations since 2016.
‘Fresh vegetables but messy experience’
But instead of a smooth experience, residents say the mandis have become messy, overcrowded and unsafe.
“There is no parking space near the mandis as a result of which, vehicles choke the main roads. The mandi grounds are haphazardly managed due to which the space, which can be utilised for parking, is encroached upon by illegal vendors who are selling clothes and other household items. Inside the mandi, it’s a struggle to walk—slippery ground, vendors spilling onto the lanes, and no crowd management at all. Enforcement wing and traffic police should pull up their socks”, said Paramjeet Kaur, a resident of Sector 41.
“The mandi is supposed to make buying vegetables easier. Instead, it feels like a stampede during peak hours. The smell, the filth, and the constant traffic jams have made it unbearable. The situation has become messier with years, with the number of vendors increasing drastically in limited space. There is hardly any place left for the buyers to walk,” said Amar Sharma, a regular buyer at the Sector 40 mandi, adding that authorities should ensure that the vendors use digital measuring scales so that residents are not cheated upon.
{{/usCountry}}“The mandi is supposed to make buying vegetables easier. Instead, it feels like a stampede during peak hours. The smell, the filth, and the constant traffic jams have made it unbearable. The situation has become messier with years, with the number of vendors increasing drastically in limited space. There is hardly any place left for the buyers to walk,” said Amar Sharma, a regular buyer at the Sector 40 mandi, adding that authorities should ensure that the vendors use digital measuring scales so that residents are not cheated upon.
{{/usCountry}}Hitesh Puri, president of the Chandigarh Residents Association Welfare Federation (CRAWFED), said, “The mandis were started to sell vegetables and fruits but with passing years, the meaning is lost. Illegal vendors have taken up the spaces, creating chaos. We can easily spot vendors selling eatables, tea, soaps and clothes, inside the mandis. Also, in the initial years, rate lists were displayed at mandi sites but now, the vendors ignore the set prices and try to fleece the buyers. Despite the ban, the vendors continue to use polythene bags which results in a huge garbage mess on the next day of mandi. It is high time that UT administration and Chandigarh civic body should come up with rules and regulations, and strict enforcement, to ensure smooth functioning of mandis.”
Farmers, vendors urge for better facilities
Komal Sharma, in-charge of apni mandi, Punjab Mandi Board, said, “We have repeatedly requested Chandigarh MC to level the grounds, especially before monsoon. When it rains, the entire place turns into a muddy pool and vegetables often get ruined. MC is also supposed to provide water tankers and mobile toilets, but nothing comes through. Vendors and customers are left to manage in highly unhygienic conditions.”
Baldev Singh, a farmer from Punjab, said, “We are paying over ₹200 to the authorities, every day, for allowing us to set up the vends. But, they pay no heed to providing facilities to us. We lose money because of filthy grounds as dust damages the produce. There is no nearby toilet facility, making it difficult for the women farmers to sit all day.”
However, the MC officials said that the mandi sites, which actually belong to UT administration, are reserved for other purposes as per the city’s master plan, and hence, can not be levelled or made concrete. They claim that MC provides one water tanker and one mobile toilet, each, at mandi sites to facilitate the farmers.