Meenata| I|ower Market

lL was one funfllled mornlng for us All Lhe vendors wanLed Lo pose for us as we Look plcLures 1hey
LhoughL we were from Lhe ress l Lold Lhem we were noL from Lhe ress and LhaL Lhelr plcLures were
noL golng Lo appear ln Lhe newspaper Lomorrow 1hey slmply shrugged smlled and posed for anoLher
plcLure
Unhappy t|mes at Meenata| f|ower market
Vendors st|ck on wary of 8MC
1he flre on SaLurday nlghL aL Lhe MeenaLal 1hackeray llower MarkeL dealL a bad blow Lo Lhe
flower Lraders buL Lhelr splrlL Lo geL back Lo buslness has noL been affecLed ln splLe of Lhe
markeL remalnlng closed for Lwo days on Sunday and Monday and desplLe Lhe huge losses Lhe
Lraders were ln Lhelr elemenL aL Lhe markeL on 1uesday busy selllng flowers and golng abouL
Lhelr buslness
1he markeL was closed for Lwo days and flowers are a perlshable commodlLy 1he comblned
loss of all Lhe farmers and Lraders ls abouL 8s10 Lo 12 crore approxlmaLely wlLh every Lrader
lndlvldually lncurrlng losses of abouL 8s2 Lo 23 lakh We are noL asklng for much from Lhe
8MC We [usL wanL aL leasL a lakh of rupees as compensaLlon" sald klshore 8hagaL resldenL
llower MarkeL
CeLLlng back Lo buslness afLer Lhe mlshap was qulLe a Lask for Lhe slx hundred and LhlrLy four
Lraders because along wlLh Lhe lmmense damage Lo Lhelr shops Lhe very facL LhaL Lhe markeL
place whlch ls llke a second home was engulfed ln a blaze has lefL Lhem shaken
AnoLher lnLeresLlng polnL was LhaL ln splLe of Lhe place belng rulned because of Lhe flre Lhe
Lraders are noL ready Lo leave Lhe place noL even on a Lemporary basls so LhaL Lhe 8MC can
renovaLe lL
1he 8MC has asked us Lo shlfL so LhaL Lhe renovaLlon work can be underLaken buL we refused
We Lold Lhem LhaL Lhey can work afLer our buslness hours" sald a Lrader
1he reason behlnd Lhls relucLance Lo budge from Lhls place ls LhaL Lhere ls lack of LrusL among
Lhe Lraders wlLh regard Lo Lhe 8MC 1hey say LhaL afLer belng dlsplaced from Lhelr orlglnal
place Lhe Pawkers laza aL uadar and noL belng glven any lnLlmaLlon abouL belng able Lo geL
back Lhere even Len years afLer Lhe compleLlon of Lhe bulldlng Lhey have slmply no LrusL ln Lhe
auLhorlLles
SeLLllng down aL a new place Lakes aL leasL Lwo Lo Lhree years and we can'L keep ad[usLlng Lo
new places every now and Lhen lL has been some Llme now LhaL we have sLarLed geLLlng good
buslness aL Lhls (MeenaLal flower markeL) place 1hough Lhls ls noL all LhaL a good place buL ls
cenLrally locaLed and we have ad[usLed Lo lL now we wlll noL budge from Lhls place Lven lf we
geL orders from uelhl we won'L leave Lhls place" sald a Lrader echolng Lhe senLlmenLs of all Lhe
people Lhere
WhaL Lhe 8MC has Lo say
1he budgeL esLlmaLe for Lhe renovaLlon ls belng made and wlll Lake Lwo days 1he 8MC ls
faclng shorLage of funds so wlLh Lhe mlnlmum posslble expendlLure we wlll do Lhe renovaLlon
1he renovaLlon of Lhe burnL areas of Lhe markeL wlll Lake a mlnlmum of Lhree monLhs and by
May we wlll renovaLe Lhe enLlre markeL" sald uM hase ClLy Lnglneer 8MC 1he renovaLlon
wlll Lake place ln phases so LhaL Lhe lnconvenlence caused Lo Lhe Lraders would be reduced
eople have already puL up Lhelr shops ln areas whlch Lhe flre rulned and asklng Lhem Lo
vacaLe ls noL pracLlcal because Lhls wlll hamper Lhelr buslness We wlll Lake up parLs of Lhe
markeL and durlng Lhls perlod Lhe Lraders mlghL face some dlfflculLles 1hey can ad[usL else
where or puL up an open sLall for LhaL Llme perlod" sald hase