CHENNAI: Two state government’s ornamental fish markets in north Chennai, established at a combined cost of Rs 55.5 crore over the last seven years, stand largely empty. Though the Kolathur Ornamental Fish Market and the Madhavaram fish mall together have room for 232 traders, barely 10-15 shops are open in both the facilities. As the rest sit shuttered, the complexes have little to no footfall through the day.
The four-acre Kolathur facility near the Padi flyover in Villivakkam built by the CMDA was inaugurated last October, cost Rs 53 crore. Run by the fisheries department, it has 188 shops. The centre grew out of a road-widening project for Kolathur school road, meant to clear traffic from a stretch where around 150 ornamental fish stalls, some on allegedly encroached land, lined the road. Most continue to function out of the stretch, as the widening work is yet to begin.
What the building does have is outweighed by what it doesn’t. With three storeys, it has no commercial lift, forcing sellers to haul goods up and down the stairs to the upper floors manually. In addition, there was no RO water, in a business where sellers say water quality is everything. “A few fish from my shop got infected with white spot disease, which is usually caused by unsuitable water,” said a seller from one the dozen shops that are open there.
Sellers paid an advance of Rs 70,000-Rs 80,000 before they even opened. Despite it, they don’t want to occupy the shops and pay rent additionally when there are hardly any customers nor facilities. Caught in a loop, authorities said they are yet to develop facilities since the shops are still unoccupied. The rent has been fixed at Rs 70 per square feet for the ground floor, Rs 60/sq ft for the first floor and Rs 50/sq ft, for the second. This would amount to Rs 17,000 to Rs Rs18,000 monthly for ground floor shops.
The Madhavaram complex was built in 2019 for Rs 2.5 crore-60% central funds, 40% state, under the National Agriculture Development Programme. It has 44 shops over two floors, run by the Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, the complex stands next to Aavin’s dairy unit. Three shops were open when TNIE visited. The lake next door gives off a stench sellers blame on untreated wastewater from the Aavin factory.
Six years in, the facade is chipped and weathered and the ramp to the building is closed. An algae pond sits stagnant out front. Inside, dusty tanks dumped in corners, grimy ceilings,the ground floor has toilets for men and women, both cleaned by the watchman. The staircase had no railing.
Steel rods stick out of an unfinished upper floor that was supposed to hold 16 more shops. This was part of a plan the university’s own website says would create 200 jobs. The “entertainment component” the site also promises doesn’t exist.
“The visibility of the complex is again an issue because it does not stand on the main road but rather a narrow service road inside; this hinders our sales,” said Kumar, one of the handful of sellers still hanging on. Kayalagam Food Mess is the only stall doing any real business but even its workers say they’re losing money.
Speaking to TNIE, a fisheries department official said rental cost reductions are unlikely, as the land belongs to the HR&CE department, and that the shop rents were fixed only after considering the rental amount that the fisheries department needs to pay to the HR&CE, along with maintenance costs. He said, sellers asked for cargo lift, which will be considered after occupancy improves.
“Many traders are reluctant to shift because they fear there will be no business. Once more sellers begin occupying, the government will also be in a position to improve additional facilities,” he said, adding RO-filtered metro water is supplied to suit varied fish species’ needs. It cannot be demineralised completely. On the condition of Madhavaram fish mall, he said, the department will speak to TNJFU and check for possible renovation.