The pathetic state of fish markets is haunting the fish lovers of the city.
Ernakulam fish market, from where loads of fish are being distributed daily to major parts of the city, has become infamous for its unhygienic condition, narrow roads, stench and slush. “I have stopped frequenting the market owing to its deplorable condition and foul smell,” said a customer.
The fish market is not being cleaned daily. The issue has been taken up several times before the authorities but nothing concrete has been done, other than constructing a roof over the market in 1999. T K Ashraf, Corporation health standing committee chairman, said the cleaning of the market has been assigned with the private parties. “It is their responsibility to look into the issue,” he said.
Pachalam fish market
Pachalam fish market is yet another market which is unwillingly following the suit of Ernakulam market. As far as the Pachalam fish market is concerned, the sources said that a proposal has already been mooted to renovate the market. “The proposal was to build a multi-storeyed building which could accommodate the market on the ground floor with a small mall, library and other small offices on other floors. The Corporation has already allotted `10 lakh for it. But that proposal did not take off,” they said. Besides the biogas plant which was installed here has become defunct. “It functioned only for six months. Now it lay completely abandoned. It could have solved the issue of waste treatment to quite an extent,” they said.