Nandapur: Due to continuous rainfall in Koraput district, the weekly market held on Wednesday in Nandapur block headquarters has turned muddy and waterlogged, causing severe inconvenience to farmers, vendors, and traders. Many of them expressed dissatisfaction as they had to wade through muddy water to carry out their business.
Adding to the woes, a section of a cement platform in the market has collapsed due to the erosion of the soil beneath it. Despite these challenges, the officials of the District Regulated Market Committee (RMC), along with the Nandapur Panchayat, Block, and Koraput district administration, have maintained silence and failed to take any visible steps for improvement.
Farmers from nearby blocks such as Lamtaput and Semiliguda, who depend heavily on this Wednesday market, were left disappointed. The stagnant rainwater and garbage have created an unhygienic and foul-smelling environment, making the market unbearable.
Even though the RMC collects market fees (hat pani) from farmers and vendors, no steps have been taken to improve the infrastructure or maintain sanitation. As a result, many sellers have been forced to display their goods along the roadside instead of inside the market premises. Since these markets are set up on main roads, traffic congestion has become a persistent problem, posing a headache for the police and local administration.
This issue is not limited to Nandapur. Similar conditions are reported in other local markets like Thursday’s Padua Hat, Saturday’s Thuba Hat, Monday’s Subai Hat, and Tuesday’s Rising Hat.
Farmers, vendors, and traders have strongly urged the Panchayat, Block, District Administration, and State Government to immediately repair the dilapidated market platforms and improve the deteriorating hygiene and infrastructure.
In response, Koraput District Collector V. Kirthivasan has assured that he will bring this matter to the attention of the RMC authorities and initiate discussions to ensure improvements are made in these market areas.