21 December,2023 06:48 AM IST | Mumbai | The Editorial
The space proposed for fish dealing operations at Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market in south Mumbai
The BMC and dealers at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Mandai (CSMM), once a thriving wholesale and retail fish market have been locked in a battle ever since the civic body began demolishing the building in which they worked in 2014. The dealers now operate out of makeshift stalls on the site where their building once stood.
While the BMC agreed to shift the market to the nearby Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market, also known as Crawford Market, offering pitches in the basement and ground floor, members of the Mumbai Fresh Fish Dealers Association are refusing to move to the new location, citing lack of proper ventilation and ramps for loading and unloading fish, as well as insufficient space.
Dealers remain steadfast in their refusal, arguing that the new location lacks adequate space for their business and essential ramps for loading and unloading fish consignments. For decades, they conducted their trade at the CSMM. The fish market, spread over 7,606.9 sq m, was declared dangerous in a structural audit in 2014, leading to the demolition of the top floor to reduce the load. Currently the vendors are operating out of temporary sheds. A representative said of the design that being stakeholders they should have had a greater say in it and no ventilation will lead to an unbearable stench.
Yet, the other side has proclaimed that the construction will be complete and all aspects looked into. The temporary space should be just that temporary, and dealers must be moved into the designated space after all apprehension and misgivings have been addressed and if necessary, some changes made at this stage itself. A stalemate will be counterproductive and does not serve any of the parties. Instead meeting and cooperating, suggestions, alterations, if need be, and some adjustment from both sides is the way forward and translates into a winning situation.
