Chandigarh, July 24: Overflowing garbage, waterlogged muddy roads and rampant encroachments continue to choke the Sector 26 fruit and vegetable mandi, as civic apathy and jurisdictional confusion delay basic upkeep and repairs in one of the city’s busiest marketplaces.
Despite years of complaints and promises from authorities, the market remains in disrepair. On any given day, customers and vendors alike navigate slush-filled paths, blocked lanes and reeking garbage piles — a situation that worsens during the monsoon.
“The stench is unbearable during the rains,” said Rakesh Kumar, a regular customer. “The market committee must make extra efforts to ensure proper cleanliness, especially now.”
Residents of the nearby Sector 26 Police Lines echoed similar concerns, saying that the foul smell and unattended heaps of garbage have made living conditions around the mandi difficult.
At the heart of the problem is a lack of clarity over who is responsible for the market’s upkeep — a matter that has left basic civic functions, including garbage collection, lighting and road maintenance, in limbo.
“There is no planning, and every department is passing the buck,” said Mohit Sood, president of the Grain Market Welfare Association. “Even after we approached the Deputy Commissioner, no official clarity has been provided on whether the land falls under the Municipal Corporation or the UT Administration.”
Sood added that although traders pay commercial property taxes and garbage collection charges to the civic body, no services are being extended in return. Meanwhile, Municipal Corporation officials have claimed that the mandi lies outside their jurisdiction.
The prolonged inaction has taken a toll on the market’s infrastructure. “The roads are in terrible condition and worsen further during the rainy season,” said Raj Kumar Bansal, chairperson of the market association. “With vendors encroaching every inch, there’s no room left to move, and the muddy roads make access almost impossible. Even basic parking space is lacking.”
Traders’ associations have made repeated appeals. A delegation from the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal recently met with Agriculture Department Secretary Hari Kallikat, pressing for urgent action on sanitation and illegal encroachments.
“The market has become chaotic. We highlighted both sanitation and unregulated vendors during our meeting,” said Sanjeev Chadda, president of the Beopar Mandal.
In response, Market Committee Administrator Paviter Singh said a resolution may soon be in sight. “The new bylaws are almost ready. Once notified, they will give us enforcement powers to seize goods from illegal vendors,” he said.
Regarding the deteriorating hygiene and crumbling roads, Singh said the committee would take up sanitation work and begin repairs once the land ownership issue is resolved.
