Mangalore Central Market To Get A New Look Under Smart City Project

March 3: The Central Market with the fish market will be rebuilt under Mangalore Smart City Limited’s (MSCL) public-private partnership (PPP) model. The market will be developed at a total cost of Rs 145 crore
A proposal to demolish the existing old Central Market building and build a new market area was approved at the MSCL board meeting which was held in October 2018.
MSCL MD Mohammed Nazir said that the proposed Central Market complex will have a separate space for the retail sale of vegetables, fruits, flowers, fish and meat. The complex will also have a separate space for commercial establishments and office premises as well, he added. At present, there are 597 shops in Central Market who conduct wholesale and retail business. Majority of the activity such as loading and unloading takes place upto 10 am and after 7 pm.
At present, the lack of cleanliness and indiscriminate dumping of waste had been posing many inconveniences to customers. The street vendors are also accused of dirtying the Central Market area. When it rains, garbage flows with the water causing inconvenience to sellers and buyers, informed Jayakumari, a customer who often visits Central Market. The parking area for customers was also choked and any available place was encroached by the street vendors. In fact, five main roads join the area where Central Market is situated—from Bunder, Bhavanthi Street, Ganapathi School Road, A R D’Souza Road and Fathima Store Road. As a result, the density of vehicles is high in the area. The toilets in the Central Market building are not in good condition