Delhi LG Saxena visits Azadpur Mandi, expresses displeasure at "hellish" condition

New Delhi [India], November 8 : Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena visited Azadpur Mandi, regulated by the Delhi Agriculture Marking Board (DAMB)- following repeated requests and complaints by different stakeholders including the traders, regarding the severe lack of sanitation, public amenities, parking woes and inadequate fire safety arrangements among others, said a press note issued by the LG's office.
The most outstanding thing that came out during the visit was the prevalence of a huge amount of flying road dust and smoke from trucks plying to and from the Mandi, which was adding to the already alarming air quality emergency in the city.
The LG's office said that the LG took grave exception to the situation and wondered what the Development Department of GNCTD, under which the DAMB-APMC operate, had been doing for the last nine years.
He expressed shock at the fact that the Minister in charge of the Mandi was also the Environment Minister of Delhi and yet such a polluting hellhole was present in the middle of the Capital.
The LG said that he will take up this issue with the Chief Minister in their next meeting.

During the visit, the LG walked through different blocks of the Fruits and Vegetables Mandi and expressed grave displeasure at the "hellish" condition in which thousands of traders, more than a lakh of labourers and visitors to the Mandi were forced to live.
The LG was anguished to see overflowing sewage, open defecation, stray animals, garbage all around and the stench in the Mandi.
Azadpur Mandi is one of the largest in the world witnesses the movement of over 20,000 trucks and receives a footfall of over a lakh every day.

A number of local traders as well as traders' body also put forward their grievances to the LG saying they were forced to work in unhygienic and pathetic conditions owing to government apathy that posed a grave risk to their health and lives.
The majority of the complaints pertained to the non-removal of garbage from the Mandi and acute mismanagement in the parking of trucks and other smaller goods vehicles entering the market frequently.
Saxena expressed shock at the "inhuman conditions" in which more than a lakh of labour and traders were forced to live and pulled up accompanying officials over the lack of toilets, roads and drinking water in the Mandi premises.
The traders in the vegetables Mandi told the LG that there was just one entry/exit for the trucks which led to severe congestion and a huge pile-up of trucks.
They said this posed a serious threat in case of any emergency like the recent fire incidents in the Mandi.
Some other traders complained that the high mast lights inside the Mandi were mostly non-functional and that a large part of the market sinks into darkness after sunset.
Having experienced the ground situation first-hand and taking serious note of the traders' complaints, LG directed the concerned officers to take immediate remedial measures to address the concerns raised by the traders, the press release said.
He asked officials to chalk out the priorities in consultation with all stakeholders and prepare a concrete action plan within a week.
While directing the MCD officials to immediately clean the heaps of garbage and C&D Waste from the area, the LG asked them to personally monitor the sanitation work and apprise the LG Secretariat about the progress of works along with the photographs, said the press release.