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Ludhiana’s main vegetable market a health disaster waiting to happen
Visitors to Ludhiana’s main vegetable market near Jalandhar Bypass are routinely greeted by utter chaos, unhygienic conditions and accumulated garbage, with the market administration failing to come up with a sustainable solution for waste disposal, even as a new contract for the same was issued in May this year
Visitors to the city’s main vegetable market near Jalandhar Bypass are routinely greeted by utter chaos, unhygienic conditions and accumulated garbage, with the market administration failing to come up with a sustainable solution for waste disposal, even as a new contract for the same was issued in May this year.
The market committee had on June 28 also issued a contract for the lifting of old garbage within 30 days. However, it still lays untreated and unsegregated inside the premises.
Every day, over 30,000 buyers, sellers and workers visit the market, which is central to the vegetable trade in the city and adjoining areas. There are over 1,200 authorised traders in the market and is second only to Delhi’s Azadpur Mandi in terms of size and capacity.
The tender notice for the market’s cleaning contract which released in April, a copy of which is with HT, states that the contractor will comply with the central government’s Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 and be liable to dump the waste at a place designated by the municipal corporation.
Vegetable markets fall under the list of entities that are legally obligated, as per Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, to ensure segregation of waste at the source and to dispose of the biodegradable waste within their premises.
The stench emanating from the mounds of organic and plastic waste piled at several points along the periphery of the city’s main vegetable market are more characteristic a dump yard than a trading hub.
On two occasions, MC has issued challans against the market committee for incidents of fire at the dumpsites. “Organic and plastic waste is being dumped at empty spaces inside the market premises for the past two years,” said Gurkamal Singh, president of the new vegetable market’s commission agents association.
With the deadly spectre of infectious diseases such as dengue, malaria and Covid being more real than ever, it makes the situation acutely worrisome.
“It scares me to see vegetables being sold in such unhygienic conditions. After going home, we take extra precautions to wash them. The smell is so unbearable that one cannot stand there without covering their mouth,” said Ekam Kaur, a resident of Rishi Nagar.
Amarvir Singh, secretary of the Punjab State Fruit and Vegetable Commission Agents Association, said, “It is the failure of the market committee. The Act states that 60% of the revenue is to be spent on the market. We have registered protests on several occasions but to no avail. Even after the new contract was issued, the situation is still the same.”
“Since private contractors have entered the market, things have become worse. They charge excessively for parking and entry, but nobody speaks out against them because of fear,” said Ashok Kumar, a seller.
“Basic infrastructure is also in a pitiable condition as there is no arrangement for water and sanitation, “ said Manish Kumar, a resident of Sekhewal.
Rains have further aggravated the situation as empty spaces where water has accumulated have become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The real threat comes from plastic waste, which has not been separated from the organic residue which if dumped in a landfill will ultimately enter the food chain.
The ban on single-use plastic carry bags has also not been fully implemented in the market and is adding to the already piling load of non-biodegradable waste.
Authorities at an impasse
Speaking to HT, secretary of the market committee Jasmeet Singh Brar said, “The main issue is the stacking and dumping of waste. Our agreement with the contractor is to dispose it of at the municipal corporation’s dump site, but the civic body has not permitted us to dump the waste there citing National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) guidelines on solid waste management .”
“They have asked us to create a mechanism to dispose it of within the market. The final call on this issue will be taken by the Punjab Mandi Board and we cannot do anything at the market committee level. A pilot project has been initiated in Phagwara and we have also sent proposals put by the private companies,’’ he added.
Amarvir Singh, secretary, Punjab State Fruit and Vegetable Commission Agents Association, said, “The market committee can plead with the NGT or corporation to shift waste to some other location until it develops a mechanism to avoid any major health emergency.”
Committee has to manage waste itself: MC
MC health officer Vipal Malhotra said as per the solid waste management rules, vegetable market falls under the category of bulk generators and the market committee has to manage the waste by itself. “Over 50 tonnes of waste is generated on a daily basis at the market. The market committee can either go for composting or other solutions to deal with wet waste and can enter into a contract with MC to deal with dry waste,” he added.
“Three years have elapsed since MC has been pressuring the authorities, but they have failed to take required steps. Challans have also been issued for burning waste inside the market in the recent past and the private contractor hired by the market committee was also caught dumping waste at the secondary dump sites of the MC,” he said, adding that they will initiate action against the committee after discussing with higher authorities if it fails to manage the waste soon.
