Weekly markets are temporary kiosks for buying and selling day-to-day necessities such as vegetables, fruits, utensils and clothes. Typically named after the day when the markets set up shop, these markets are up and about shop by late afternoon and continue till late at night. While they are a lifeline for several residents, who depend on the markets for daily groceries, there are several other residents who wish them gone, as they are, after all encrochments and a nuisance to traffic in the area.
City Spidey spoke to residents of Indirapuram to find what they thought about the markets. According to Shamshad Ali, president of street vendors association in Indirapuram, primarily, there were six disparate weekly markets organised in Indirapuram.
Tuesday market at Mangal chowk on Kala Patthar road, Wednesday market near Gaur Green Avenue, Thursday markets near Sai Mandir at Abhay Khand, Friday Market near Orange County on Kala Patthar Road, Saturday market, again in Abhay Khand and the daily Bihari market near Shipra Krishna Vista.
Puja Mahaldar, a resident of Saya Zenith, is of the opinion that these weekly markets block the streets, causing her to remain stuck in traffic for hours while returning from her office in Noida. "Indirapuram is better off without these markets," she added. Rita Uttam, a resident of Abhay Khand, shared similar views. She said these markets were a nuisance and a major disturbance for residential areas. "The markets add to the already existing nuisance created by unruly drivers and shared auto-rickshaws," she added.
On the other hand, however, VK Pandey, a resident of Vaishali who works in Indirapuram and commutes daily through the area, was in favour of the markets. Pandey said such markets allowed people to buy necessary items at a reasonable price. "Not every one can afford to depend on malls for daily groceries. The vendors also organise a weekly bonus sale," added Pandey. "These vendors are none other than residents of neighbouring villages, who have come to earn their daily bread," said Vicky Singh, a resident of Abhay Khand, while picking up a plump orange from the pile in front of him at the Tuesday market.
Some other residents City Spidey spoke to had different views about the markets.
Sameer Ojha, a resident of Gyan Khand 3, agreed that the markets were a lot of trouble but was quick to point out that it was only because they were unorganised. "Organisisng the market properly will solve all the problems," said Ojha. He also said that they could nt be done away with as they provided a steady income for hundreds of villagers and was also a lifeline for low-income individuals.
Shamshad Ali from street vendors association, Indirapuram, said there were around 1,500 to 2,000 vendors who contributed to the weekly markets. "Almost all of them come from nearby villages such as Kanauni, Chijarsi, Makanpur and Khoda," he added. Ali accepted that the markets did indeed cause problems but also added that the vendors were poor people who had no other place to go.
GDA officials from the enforcement cell City Spidey spoke to also accepted the problem. "We try to maintain order but so many unorganised vendors around residential areas are bound to cause inconvenience," said an official. "The solution is a separate area earmarked for the markets."
