No basic amenities at Koyambedu market

CHENNAI: It’s 3 am. ‘Aelelo ailasa aelelo ailasa’ chorus of daily wagers soaked in sweat echoes through the quiet morning. While the load men take turns to unload sacks of vegetables and fruits, businesses seem brisk with cash moving hand to hand.

But traders and contract workers at the market lament over the lack of basic amenities on the premises. Chief among them is a lack of rest area or a shelter for the load men, vendors, rickshaw pullers and traders.

“There are about 5,000 to 7,000 labourers (including organised and unorganised load men, rickshaw pullers and sweepers, etc) who use the area but there is no place to get rest after a hard day,” said load man Vijay. “The market management committee officials ask us to move out of the market after work, but most of us are daily wagers. It’s a luxury to avail a private room for us.”

The irony is that Chief Minister MK Stalin in April last year inaugurated a resting room for labourers, which had a cafeteria, and accommodate 150 visitors, but the facility is yet to be open to the public.

Other issues are the lack of bathrooms, broken lavatories, piled up garbage, stray dog menace and poor sanitation. “We’re dependent on bottled drinking water as all the three RO plants installed in the market are defunct and not maintained well. The one which is working is usually far away,” said load man S Soundarrajan.

“The RO drinking water was great when it was installed, but now it tastes bad. There’s foul smell emanating from it for the last few months,” said, M Muniyamma, a contract sweeper.

However, need of the hour for the laborers is a medical centre or hospital for the labourers. “They unload the goods from midnight to early morning. Each bag weighs at least 25-30 kg,” said M Neelamegam, an office bearer of Koyambedu market load man association. “AMMA mini clinic which was in the premises was closed. Now, it’s a resting place for cows after the lockdown. The market also needs dedicated ambulance services.”

When contacted, a senior MMC official said that the cafeteria and a rest area were locked as the tender (floated a couple of times) inviting a contractor had failed. “Through e-auction, we can see some positive responses. We’re confident of opening the facility soon,” the official said. “We’re also planning to install more RO drinking water plants.”

What about the Amma clinic? The official said that the Chennai Corporation will soon construct a dedicated Urban Health Centre.