NEW DELHI: Situated next to the towering garbage mountain on the Delhi-Ghaziabad border, the Ghazipur vegetable market, Delhi’s only planned wholesale vegetable hub, stands in a state of deep civic decay.
More than two decades after it was shifted from Shahdara in 2001 to make way for the Delhi Metro, the market continues to operate without even the most basic facilities. Traders here allege chronic mismanagement by the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), even as the market generates crores in revenue annually.
Flooding, filth and high costs
“This is the only planned mandi, but civic facilities are close to zero,” said Rajkumar Luthra, a member of the marketing committee. “There is no proper toilet facility. We purchase drinking water from outside. Sanitation is poor, and our basements get flooded during the monsoon.”
The conditions are particularly harsh for smaller traders, who operate under makeshift tarpaulin tents that offer little protection from the elements. Garbage, particularly plastic waste and rotting produce, piles up through the day, worsening during rains.
Despite the lack of basic services, over thousands of sellers work in the market daily — many of them operating in open spaces rented from licensed shop owners. “We pay marketing committee fees and also rent to traders who let us use their space. On top of that, we have to pay for drinking water. At least that should be free,” said Ratan Jha, a trader.
The market, spread over 37.3 acres and later expanded with an additional 10 acres meant for a flower market, was officially designated as the principal yard in 2008.
It has 384 shops for B-category licence holders and 240 for A-category traders. Yet, basic amenities remain missing.
Rajinder Sharma, former member of the Delhi Agricultural Marketing Board (DAMB), questioned the decision to allocate land for a flower market. “That land should have been used to expand the fruit and vegetable market. It’s a missed opportunity,” he said.
Lack of basic facilities
Between May 2024 and January 2025 alone, the APMC collected over Rs 7.5 crore in marketing fees from traders. Still, access to clean water — both for drinking and sanitation — remains a struggle. “The APMC is responsible for managing this market, but it can’t even supply water to our toilets,” said Luthra.
“Every day, each trader spends Rs 300 to Rs 400 just on bottled water. Underground boring water isn’t supplied either, due to faulty pumps.” He added that the market’s 12,000-litre water tanks are not sufficient. “Water supply comes for just one hour a day — not enough even for toilets, forget drinking.” The poor infrastructure directly impacts earnings. Traders said their profits have dropped significantly over the last few years, and yet no effort has been made to improve working conditions.
Vegetables reaching the Ghazipur mandi come from across the country — Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and parts of NCR. Commodities like potatoes, tomatoes, brinjal, onions, and green vegetables arrive daily. But storing them safely is another hurdle.
“We don’t have cold storage. If our produce isn’t sold in time, it rots and is thrown away,” said Kartavya Bhandari, another trader. “There is no bank, no canteen, nothing. Most trade happens in cash, but not a single bank exists inside the premises.”
Waste management and security too are in shambles. Safai karamcharis and guards are deployed through outsourcing agencies, but traders say corruption ensures no regular postings. “Only half the contracted workforce shows up,” Luthra said. “For sanitation, 36 workers are promised but only 10 turn up. Security is even worse,” he added.
