Ghazipur flower market to get a cold storage, roads and amenities

The government has issued a tender for the project estimated to cost around ₹197.45 crore, for which the bids are open till March 5, said a senior government official and according to documents that HT has seen.

The Delhi government will hire an agency for the redevelopment of the flower wholesale market in Ghazipur, which includes setting up amenities such as water supply, drainage, roads, constructing a centrally air-conditioned building and a cold storage facility in another two years – a move that is likely to improve the supply of several varieties of flower in the Capital.

A worker sits among Marigold flowers at Ghazipur flower market ahead of Diwali in New Delhi. (PTI)

The government has issued a tender for the project estimated to cost around ₹197.45 crore, for which the bids are open till March 5, said a senior government official and according to documents that HT has seen.

“We are developing a modern flower market in Ghazipur. The facilities will be helpful for the traders, customers and hundreds of people who work in the market. The cold storage facility, in particular, will be immensely helpful in terms of scaling up supply, which will eventually increase the scale of flower trade in Delhi,” said Vijay Sisodia, chairperson of the agricultural produce market committee for flowers in Ghazipur.

Flower markets in Mehrauli, Fatehpuri and Baba Kharak Singh Marg (Connaught Place) were merged with a flower market in Ghazipur in 2011, giving shape to the present-day wholesale market that is said to be the biggest in Delhi. There are 420-odd licensed flower traders who operate from the market, and together they record an average annual turnout of around ₹250 crore, said a senior government official who did not wish to be identified, adding that the trade is seasonal and witnesses a sharp rise during festivities and marriage seasons.

Flowers from across states – including Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh – arrive in the market. It also records imports from countries that include New Zealand, the Netherlands, South Africa and Thailand. The most common import varieties are protea, banksia, hydrangea, amaryllis, waxflower, calla lily and varieties of tulips. The most common export destinations are the US, the UK, Germany and UAE, said traders.

Given the perishable nature of the product, cold storage is mandatory for the business. Some of them – such as daisies and tulips – need it more than others, said traders. Currently, most traders have either set up small storages within their shops or they hire services of cold storage facilities scattered across the city and manage with ice slabs and cold water in their shops.

“Because of inadequate cold storage facilities, traders often have to limit their stocks. This is one reason why wholesale traders in the city often run out of roses, tulips, daisies and gerberas when there is a spike in demand, especially if it is summer. A large centralised cold storage for the wholesale market would help addressing such shortages,” said Kisan Saini, a wholesale flower trader from Ghazipur.

Neeraj Singh of Virender florist, a retailer in New Friends Colony, said: The shortage has a cascading effect, which starts at the wholesale level and affects stocks of neighbourhood retail florists. The supply often fails to meet the demand. A central storage in Ghazipur can bridge the gap”

The tender document for the redevelopment project emphasises on a common cold storage facility that is supposed to be set up in the basement – measuring 26,440 square metre – of a yet-to-be constructed building. Other facilities for which the government is looking forward to hiring an agency include a parking area, better sheds for trade and ensuring other facilities that include proper power connections, water supply, toilets, drainage, internal roads, and a firefighting system, said the document.

Anil Sharma, COO retail and franchise in Ferns N Petals, said: “A large cold storage facility in Delhi would increase the availability of several varieties of flowers throughout the year. For instance, tulips of Srinagar and varieties of orchids that come from the Northeastern states. Secondly, it would help bring uniformity in terms of prices, especially during the periods when demands witness a sharp spike. Third, traders will be more comfortable importing flowers and maintaining larger stocks”