APMC onion-potato market redevelopment proposal to be finalised ‘within a week'
Several buildings in the market, constructed in 1979-80, have been declared extremely dangerous by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC). Earlier this week, the civic body disconnected the water supply to the onion-potato market to force traders to vacate it. The supply was restored on Tuesday after traders gave the civic body an undertaking saying they would accept responsibility for any incident, and claimed precautionary measures have been undertaken.
'Since last year, we have, along with the APMC, taken up repair work,' said Sanjay Pingle, president of the traders' organisation. 'Onion and potato are essential items and, hence, the market cannot be shut. We have given an undertaking to the civic body on the issue. The traders are ready for redevelopment, which should be taken up at the earliest.'
However, Manohar Totlani, another trader, said there seems to be no will to take up redevelopment as the proposals have been repeatedly changed. 'We should be given adequate space and not have to spend for it, which is what redevelopment is all about,' he said.
Redevelopment of the wholesale market, spread over 175 acres, has been stalled for years due to disagreements over floor space index (FSI) and costs. The redevelopment plan has also been mired in controversy over the source of funds and traders' demand for additional space, leading to a court battle.
With thousands of people working or coming for business to the wholesale market risking their lives on a daily basis, especially with the monsoon in full swing, APMC secretary PL Khandagale said a permanent solution is on the anvil. 'We have been working on a redevelopment proposal, but it needed some technical changes to make it feasible. The plan has been revised accordingly, and our project management consultant should submit it in a couple of days,' he said.
Khandagale added that the new redevelopment proposal takes care of all aspects to ensure traders' support, and the factual position will be presented in the court. 'We are confident of concrete developments in a week to take up the process at the earliest.'
Along with the onion-potato market, the redevelopment proposal of the central facility building (CFB) in the spices market has also been approved, he said. 'We have designated buildings where the traders can be shifted in case of any incident. We are also finalising additional areas to meet any eventuality,' he added.
The onion-potato market was the first to shift to Navi Mumbai in 1981, following a government decision to decongest Mumbai by shifting the wholesale markets. Poor construction led to NMMC in 2003 designating it a C1 (dangerous) category building to be vacated immediately.
The CFB building and the MAFCO vegetable market were later declared C1. Other buildings, including the administrative building, are also in poor condition. Over the years, portions of the building's ceiling and plaster have fallen. In December last year, the APMC administration installed iron pillars adjacent to the dilapidated pillars to support the galas and buildings in the onion-potato market, along with undertaking repair work. The traders have removed several dilapidated roofs and constructed sheds.
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