Ernakulam Market Complex: Bullish market
KOCHI: A new, swanky building stands beaming by the quaint Broadway. Lorries, autorickshaws, and small goods vehicles pass by every few minutes. Porters in blue uniforms are at work or resting in the compound. Inside, vendors are busy arranging and selling perishable goods. The new Ernakulam Market Complex, inaugurated on Saturday, is stirring itself awake.
The building, just a few days old, hasn’t yet reached its full potential. The flow of customers is only picking up. “It’s just been a day since we shifted. The news hasn’t reached everyone yet. Soon, it will be very busy,” says Shaheer Ettuveetil, a salesman at one of the vegetable stalls.
“It’s very clean, there are enough toilets, and adequate parking. This is much better,” he adds, heaping praise on the new structure.
Jindo K J of Kollannur Vegetable Stores beams as he recalls the inauguration day (Saturday). “The chief minister visited the stall during the event,” he says. “Almost all vegetable and fruit vendors have shifted. It’s a clean space, and we will make sure it remains so.”
The market sure looks clean, though it’s just a day after Monday, one of the busiest business days. “Fish and meat vendors will also shift soon. Spice and other stalls are already moving in,” Jindo adds.
S V David, a spice trader since 1974, is among those who have moved in.
“I have been part of this market for 50 years. After spending time in a temporary space, we are now back in this new building,” he says. Over 200 vendors were relocated during the renovation of the Ernakulam Market.
“Back in the day, rent was around Rs 60. In recent years, it rose to Rs 4,000. Now, the rent will likely be revised,” David says.
The ground floor is mainly for vegetables and fruits, while the first floor is designated for meat and fish. “There’s space for 275 stalls. The arrangements to bring in meat and fish stalls will be completed soon,” says K K Ashraf, secretary of the Ernakulam Market Stall Owners’ Association.
C J George, president of the association, mentions that there will be a meeting soon with meat and fish vendors and corporation officials to finalise their relocation. “There will be initial hiccups, but by January, everything will run smoothly,” he says.
According to Mayor M Anilkumar, the delay is because the administration is being cautious.
“Starting everything at once could disrupt market operations. It’s Christmas and New Year time, so the planning will take some time. By 2025, there will be more clarity on market operations, and decisions will be made accordingly,” he says.
He adds that the financial committee will meet soon to decide on the rent. “Further plans for the food court and fish and meat markets will be taken up next year.”
But the question remains, what about the small-time vendors who used to be a constant presence in the old market, living on the peripheries without a stall? Salesman Shaheer says some have been coming to the new market in the evenings and selling just outside the complex.
“There are more stalls upstairs if they want to rent a space. Some have been coming here in the evenings in time for the office folks returning home,” he adds.
The corporation will also decide on how to accommodate small vendors without disrupting traffic or market functioning.
Other amenities
In a couple of months, the food court on the upper floor will begin functioning, turning the market into a shopping destination for families.
“Earlier, the market was congested, unorganised, and poorly maintained. Now, it’s completely different,” Ashraf says. “Amenities include a waste treatment plant, space for new vendors, and underground parking, which will open soon,” he adds.
An official with CSML mentions that the building will be maintained by CSML for one year.
“The sewage treatment plant (STP) will be fully operational in two months and a dedicated staff will take care of its functioning. There will also be staff to clean the market twice a day. Seven to eight dedicated staff will be appointed to maintain the cleanliness. CSML will manage the STP for three years,” the official says.
CSML is also constructing a multi-storied parking lot near the market to resolve parking issues. “The new market cost `72 crore, and the parking lot will require around `24 crore,” the official adds.
Dissenting voices
However, not everyone is completely on board with the new market. A former top official with the corporation says the new market could have been envisaged in a better location, without affecting city traffic.
“The old Ernakulam Market was constructed here around 150 years ago near the canal. In those days, goods were transported using waterways. The situation is different now. The narrow lanes here are not conducive for effective functioning of a big market, especially for a site frequented by huge lorries,” he says.
Therefore, a better plan, he suggests, would have been selecting an area where the market could properly use waterways for transporting goods.
“We are not properly exploring water transport possibilities. It would have been better in the long term to depend on waterways, especially considering the environmental concerns,” the former official says.
The Mayor counters this by saying, “People have an emotional connection to this space.Also, the Corporation owns very little land in the city. This is one such space. That is an important factor.”
Nuggets from history
Ernakulam Market sprang to life after the Cochin Maharaja assigned land to Jewish traders for setting up their businesses. Later, these shops were sold as the Jewish population left the country.
The Market had access both by road and waterway. A narrow canal extended to the Vembanad Lake and kettuvallams were used to transport goods to and from the market.
In the 1950s, a fire had eaten away a lot of the market corridor. The Corporation rebuilt the market complex in 1976.
New Market
Total area: 19,990 sq.m in 3 floors
Cost: Rs.72.69 crore
Total stalls: 275
Vegetable stalls: 130
Stationary: 52
Meat and fish stalls: 28
Plantain stalls: 34
Fruits stalls: 7
Egg stalls: 3
Amenities:
A separate area for loading and unloading
82 toilets
40 KW solar panels
Fire safety arrangements
Security cameras
Rainwater tank
Water tank with a capacity of 30,000 litre
Multilevel car parking
Ramp facility
Waste management system
Drainage system
Lifts