Hundreds of vegetable vendors continue to work amid dust, mud and inadequate facilities
KALABURAGI
A modern Rs 28-crore Kanni Vegetable Market complex, built to provide better infrastructure for vegetable traders in the heart of city, has remained unopened for nearly 11 months, forcing hundreds of vendors to continue doing business in unhygienic and difficult conditions. The market complex, located on MSK Mill Road, was constructed through the Public Works Department (PWD) with financial assistance of Rs 21.70 crore from the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board (KKRDB) and Rs 6.30 crore from the Urban Development Authority (UDA). Although the construction was completed in July 2025, the facility has not yet been inaugurated.
The project initially faced delays due to a shortage of funds and the change in government. After the Congress government assumed office, funds were released and construction was completed. However, the inauguration has reportedly been delayed due to a controversy over the installation of signboards in Kannada, English and Urdu, leaving the fully constructed building unused for almost a year.
More than 350 registered vegetable vendors continue to operate from the existing open market, where they face severe hardships every day. The marketplace is often covered in dust, making it uncomfortable for both traders and customers. Shoppers are frequently seen covering their noses while purchasing vegetables, while vendors say they have no choice but to work in such conditions. During the rainy season, the situation worsens as rainwater floods the market area, forcing vendors to conduct business in muddy surroundings.
The existing market lacks essential facilities such as drinking water, toilets and proper drainage. Traders say they have been carrying on business in the open space for nearly 20 years without basic infrastructure. Overgrown bushes near the market have also become a shelter for stray pigs and cattle, which frequently enter the vending area. Vendors are often forced to chase away the animals while attending to customers. The market also experiences heavy traffic congestion every afternoon as vegetable-laden vehicles from nearby villages and various taluks arrive to unload produce. With traders, customers and vehicles sharing the same narrow roads, traffic snarls have become a daily occurrence.
Expressing frustration over the prolonged delay, vegetable vendor Shantabai said traders have waited long enough for better facilities.”We have been selling vegetables in this open space for nearly two decades without even basic amenities. There is no drinking water or toilet facility. The government should shift us to the new market immediately,” she said.
For hundreds of vegetable vendors, the new market represents the hope of cleaner, safer and more organised trading conditions. With the infrastructure ready but lying unused for nearly a year, traders are urging the authorities to set aside administrative delays and open the facility at the earliest so that the public investment can finally benefit those it was built to serve.
