GHMC cold to new fish markets

Hyderabad: Despite the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) giving funds to GHMC, the civic body has failed to construct new fish markets in Hyderabad.

Though consumption of fish in Hyderabad is high, it continues to depend mainly on two fish markets one at Begum Bazar and the other at Monda Market in Secunderabad, which were constructed by City Improvement Board (CIB) in the 1930s. Even these markets are in dilapidated condition.

On an average about 100 tonnes of fish per day reaches city from Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal. Currently, the city requires at least four wholesale markets and about 100 retail fish markets in all the 150 divisions under the GHMC limits.

Due to lack of space for sale of fish, they are being sold on the roadsides and on bicycles in very unhygienic conditions. The lack of facilities has also resulted in women fish sellers suffering from several health-related problems as they have to be constantly in touch with ice and have to sit for long hours on wooden planks.

Sujatha, a fish seller in Musheerabad said, "I sell frozen fishes from 6 am everyday sitting on a wooden plank throughout the day and I have now developed knee pains and my hands also got affected.”

Fishermen's welfare association general secretary L Balakrishna alleged that middlemen who import fish have been selling the fish to them at a higher rate. He demanded the state government to at least construct five wholesale markets in the GHMC limits to remove middlemen from the trade and to save the fishermen.

In February 2012, the NFDB had sanctioned Rs 9.9 crore to GHMC to construct four modern fish markets at Begum Bazar, Domalguda, Nacharam and Kukatpally and asked them to complete the construction within a year. The NFDB asked the GHMC to bear 10 percent of the cost. It had released 50 percent amounting to Rs 4.4 crore as first installment. Three years have gone by but the civic body is yet to begin the construction of fish markets. Citing this, the NFDB is planning to withdraw the granted funds, which would be an embarrassing situation for the GHMC.

GHMC Commissioner B Janardhan Reddy told The Hans India that the delay was due to non-cooperation from the civilians who were resisting the construction of fish market. He opined that rather than civil engineering, GHMC has to do social engineering to convince people that the proposed markets would be modern ones and will not cause any pollution. He said he has directed the engineering wing officials to identify the places to construct the modern fish markets within city limits.

Janardhan Reddy stressed that without public co-operation this would be an impossible task. He said that the civic body would soon consult public welfare associations and local residents on this issue.