"The market has died. People have left after waiting for a long time," said R Rahman, who owns and has been running a small shop in the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Ulubari-Sarania market for over 15 years.
Guwahati's Ulubari market was once a thriving space in the Dakhin-Sarania road that connects Sarania and Ulubari and catered to the residents of the area. However, the market activities have been nullified following the removal of the vendors since 2014. "After that, losses in the market piled up as the GMC construction activities for a new market place started. With new markets coming up, our market died," added Rahman.
Earlier, the area had about 200 shops with varieties of fish on offer, recalls an elderly local of the area who keeps a watch on the market. "Currently it sells no fish and has about less than 10 shops," he further added. As such, the overall demand for the market has fallen to a great extent. As per the locals, many have waited for the GMC to complete the construction but so far there’s only a half constructed floor and iron pillars of the foundation.
The shopkeepers allege that inaction on the part of the GMC has led to the current mess. Owing to lack of space, they have been forced to sell their goods on the footpath leading to problems for commuters on the Sarania road.
Ward No. 13
Population of ward: 25,540
Household: 6,195
Local MLA: Siddhartha Bhattacharya
Problems of relocation
Amid the subdued demand for and footfall in the market, there lies a hope for relocation of the same. As per GMC officials, the construction of the market complex is set to begin from 5th October. “It will be initiated from next week and both the buildings will be constructed,” confirmed Devojit Das, Chief Engineer of GMC.
While some like Rahman are hopeful of getting a shop, others have given up and have moved on. "My father had a vegetable shop which was removed in 2014. I don't expect to get anything here. Not everyone will get space and I don't have enough money to pay them," said a second generation vegetable seller of the market.
As per the market committee, around 135 people are supposed to be involved in the original market. But they are not even sure about everyone getting a shop. “Many people are there and the new market place won’t be able to all of cater them,” said ChakradharTalukdar, secretary of the Market Committee.
Years ago, Siddhartha Bhattacharya, the local MLA and minister, had come to the place and addressed the problem. People then were hopeful for getting a GMC designated place to continue business in the area. The locals now claim that the issue has not been addressed in its entirety with even the market committee not given time for a discussion on the issue with the minister.
Will GMC construct the whole market?
Another concern that the locals have is the construction of a floor by the GMC for its own use on the existing foundation. As already stated, the space for relocation for all is difficult but locals have been given to understand that the GMC is planning to construct a floor to keep for itself. The Market Committee was informed of this earlier in one of the meetings with GMC.
This has angered the local shopkeepers towards the municipal authority over showing lack of empathy for their issues. The GMC has denied of any such plans and maintained that the area is exclusive to the shopkeepers. The contractors have been hired to clear the water that is clogging the area so that construction can begin.
One of the contractors under condition of anonymity revealed that usually GMC floats tenders to establish new markets for vendors. The question will be: will the already existing market continue or will new tenders be floated to induct new people? The latter would be inconsistent to the commitments made to the people five years ago.
The secretary of the Market Committee further revealed, “New tenders will not happen as it will be according to the old market and they will construct to cater for all the people.” On the same issue, the GMC responded that proceedings will happen as “per systems in place.”
Nostalgia and tradition of the market
Unique to its character, the market had a sizeable population of the greater adjutant stork also called ‘Hargilla’. With rapid urbanisation of Ulubari, this avian population has diminished and now they are in single digits. “This market has gone down, but what people are not talking about is the environmental issues associated with it,” said Arunav Baruah, resident of South Sarania.
There have also been demands made by a section to transfer the private lands to the government so that the birds’ population can be saved. “A lot of them have died by coming in contact with the electric lines. They actually originate from the Ulubari cemetery,” said environmentalist Moloy Baruah.
The Ulubari market reeks of misguided planning, conflict of concrete VS nature, loss of livelihood among others. These existing issues are fundamental to understand the situation that has impacted the Ulubari GMC market vendors.
