Delhi’s Azadpur market to remain open round the clock to help farmers sell produce

Delhi’s Azadpur market witnessed transactions of nearly 350 tonnes of tomatoes, 302 tonnes of potatoes, 350 tonnes of onions, 82 tonnes of cauliflower and cabbage, 70 tonnes of orange and 313 tonnes of apple were supplied at the Azadpur Mandi on March 25, the day the nationwide lockdown started.

In order to help farmers sell their produce without any hassle and to ensure uninterrupted supply of essentials in the national capital, the agriculture produce market in Azadpur will remain open round the clock from Tuesday (April 21) till the lockdown is lifted, Delhi minister Gopal Rai said on Monday.

Traffic outside Azadpur vegetable market on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)

The decision was taken a day after chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that Delhi will witness no relaxation in the lockdown norms from April 20 – the revised guidelines of the Union home ministry have made some relaxations for certain sectors till May 3, such as construction work, IT companies, online deliveries and farming sector, among others.

Azadpur agriculture market is considered the lifeline of Delhi in terms of supply of fruits and vegetables. To get a sense of the scale of operations, the market witnessed transactions of nearly 350 tonnes of tomatoes, 302 tonnes of potatoes, 350 tonnes of onions, 82 tonnes of cauliflower and cabbage, 70 tonnes of orange and 313 tonnes of apple were supplied at the Azadpur Mandi on March 25, the day the nationwide lockdown started.

“Under the new arrangement, from 6am to 10pm, vegetables and fruits will be sold as usual at the Azadpur mandi . From 10pm to 6am, truck movement will be allowed in and out of the market. Every four hours, the entry of 1,000 people will be allowed,” said Rai.

He further said, to ensure social distancing, the government will deploy 900 civil defence volunteers and install two more CCTV cameras at crucial points in the market to help monitor the people density within its premises.

Earlier this month, the government had introduced staggered timings for truckers and an odd-even system for traders in the market. All sheds in the market are numbered. Under the new system, traders in odd-numbered sheds and even-numbered sheds were allowed to operate on alternate days.

“The policy was adopted to ensure social distancing but it proved costly in terms of business and supply chain. Farmers started complaining as the new arrangements reduced avenues for them to sell their produce and it hit the supply chain of fruits and vegetables in the city. This was conveyed to the government. The new arrangement is a relief,” Adil Khan, chairperson of the Azadpur agriculture produce market committee, said.