KARACHI, Aug 1: The new Sabzi Mandi on Super Highway looks like a marshland after receiving rainwater from all sides as there is no arrangement to flush it out. Following two days of rains, all roads leading to the fruit and vegetable sections of the mandi have submerged in stagnant water which, after getting mixed with the sewage overflowing from gutters, has risen up to two t three feet high.
As there is no proper arrangement for the removal of left over spurious fruits and vegetables from the sales outlets within the mandi, the heaps of such abandoned stocks had already swelled when it started raining. Resultantly, not only the garbage spread all around the outlets and, with the rain water, played havoc with the walkways, but also spread an unendurable foul smell.
The conditions are keeping customers away from the mandi, causing losses to the traders. Moreover, water, sewage, mud and garbage have been causing the fresh stocks to rot and the traders are compelled to dispose them of at whatever prices offered by the retailers visiting the mandi.
Many of the commodities are selling at 50 per cent of their actual rate, a survey of the mandi revealed.
However, the rates of the same commodities outside the mandi remained unchanged as retailers seem not ready to offer any cut, rather they would charge even higher prices.
Wholesalers and retailers at the markets elsewhere in the city were found arguing with customers that fruits and vegetables were in short supply due to bad weather and, therefore, the prices had gone up.
Contrary to their claim, stocks of fresh fruits and vegetables are piling up at the mandi as access of buyers to it has already become difficult due to damaged and submerged roads. Quite a little number of people could manage to reach the mandi as against the normal crowd often seen there.
Expressing fear of an outbreak of some epidemic if immediate steps are not taken for cleanliness after removal of filth and garbage from the mandi, the stakeholders have appealed to the relevant authorities to visit mandi to see the conditions themselves. They stressed on improving the conditions at a facility that had been built with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank and determination to make it a ‘model market of world standards’.
They also complained about denial of water, power and other basic facilities even after a lapse of four years since the charges for the same had been paid by the allottees of shops and sheds at the mandi.
In April last, the secretary agriculture during his visit to the mandi had promised that power meters would be installed within 15 days and proper water supply would also be ensured at the earliest. However, nothing had been done so far, they added.
