Loop Road fish market vendors knock down walls, make a mess

Chennai: A year after its inauguration, many of the walls dividing stalls at the Marina Loop Road fish market have been brought down so that some vendors can get bigger spaces. Local fishermen allege that this us being done in collusion with local GCC offcials and that many of these vendors are not from fishermen community. The market has more than 300 stalls built for 10 crore. Each stall measures 2m x 1.5m, but some of them were combined illegally by knocking down the dividing walls. At least 10 of these stalls were allotted to vendors who are not fishermen, said 40-year-old fisherman Palani. "These people leased them out to others for 2,000 to 4,000 per stall. Some vendors are unhappy with poor sales in the back rows. They have pressured the corporation to demolish the walls," he said. Some of the vendors said one stall is too small to display a wide range of fish, especially larger ones such as sharks. DMK MLA D Velu said the attempt to break down walls was done without his knowledge. "I have stopped it. Most fishermen don't want the demolition to take place. Vendors are leasing out shops, which is illegal," he said.GCC ward 125 assistant engineer Ravichandran said he was "unaware of the developments transpiring there."Vendors also encroach on spaces designated for public facilities, affecting hygiene. Many are spreading out their wares on walkways, corridors, and the parking lot. This causes a host of problems."Waste gets disposed off in the parking area," a vendor said. With no proper facility to discard wastewater, it stagnates, creating a foul odour. More than half the vendors leave their assigned stalls vacant and expand operations into communal areas.The new market has not decongested the 3km-long Loop Road. R Avinash, who frequently shops for fish at the market, said it is impossible to go there on Sundays. "The Loop Road is made one-way with heavy vehicles diverted from Light House to Foreshore Estate. As there is no space inside the market, cars are parked on the road, and so are two-wheelers, which add to the woes," he said. MLA Velu has promised to resolve the issues within a week.