Fishy business: Mapusa fish market cries for attention

People are forced to take risks while moving around the wet and slippery fish market in Mapusa.

Photo Credits: Agnelo Pereira

MAPUSA

While the wet and slippery floor has brought in sharp focus on the upkeep and maintenance of the Mapusa municipal fish market, haphazard parking adds to the misery of people visiting the market.

The wet and slippery condition of the floor is a huge risk for customers particularly for the senior citizens.

There are several instances where people have slipped and fallen inside the fish market on account of the wet floor.

VENDORS BLAMED

While the fish vendors blamed lack of maintenance for the situation, the vendors are also part of the problem.

The fish vendors who use ice to cover their fish add to the problem as the melting ice water spills on the floor. Some vendors have also started cleaning the fish inside the market and thereby carelessly spill used water on the floor.

Secondly, some of the fish vendors have started selling fish in the passages instead of sitting on the platforms.

The monsoon season may be one of the reasons for the floor to remain wet but the situation is no better even in the dry season.

A fish vendor informed that the civic staff washes the floor everyday late in the evening and blamed the rains for the floor to remain wet.

She, however, had no answer why the floor remains wet even when there is no rain.

POOR SUPERVISION

The visitors have blamed lack of supervision for the sorry state of affairs and wanted the market inspectors to keep a strict watch on 

nuisance makers.

“The municipal council must redeploy the inspectors at regular intervals to ensure that people can finish their purchases without any risk to their life and instruct the fisherfolks to avoid spillage of water on the floor,” said Jonas Correia, a resident of Aldona.

Then there are some vendors who park their stuff right at the entrance and exit gates of the market blocking free movement of the people.

The President of Mapusa Fish Vendors Association, Shashikala Govekar said that mostly migrant vendors blocked the entry gates and engaged in unethical activity.

“We have raised these issues with the civic authorities but so far no action has been initiated in the matter,” Govekar said.

HAPHAZARD PARKING

The other major problem was the blocking of entry into the fish market due to haphazard parking of two-wheelers in the area.

“The haphazard parking is acting as a nuisance to all and sundry. People who want to enter into the fish market have to squeeze their way through the two-wheelers. The civic body or the traffic police have to take immediate action and disallow parking in front of the gate,” said Peter D’Sa, a resident of Mapusa.

Mapusa Chairperson, Priya Mishal informed that the problem of haphazard parking in front of the fish market will soon end as the municipality has demarcated the area as pay parking.

“People will have to fall in line and park their vehicles in order once the area is converted into pay parking. We will also look into the other issues affecting the fish market,” Mishal said.