NASHIK: With the onset of the anti-encroachment drive on Godaghat, there is a high possibility the vegetable vendors might return to Ganeshwadi’s Bhaji Mandi (Vegetable market) constructed with crores of rupees.
The newly appointed Municipal Commissioner, Administrator Ramesh Pawar, has ordered the deployment of security guards at Godaghat to ensure an encroachment-free and clean ghat. With these orders, it is clear the vendors will have to shift their stalls.
The vegetable market at Ganeshwadi is home to beggars at present. If the vendors shift to the market, the beggars will need to look for a new shelter. As the years passed, former commissioners ordered the clearance of Godaghat and relocation of vegetable vendors.
To protest against their orders, the vendors moved to the court. After the court’s hearing, the corporation constructed a mandi at Ganeshwadi. This step ensured the relocation of vendors to a place dedicated to vegetable selling and kept the beauty of Godaghat intact. The blocks were auctioned in the mandi, and vegetable sellers shifted to the mandi.
However, the auction didn’t receive a satisfactory response as the majority of sellers refused to shift, and the corporation couldn’t succeed in its drive. In the meantime, the flower sellers of Saraf Bazaar took over the mandi’s area. Now, the flower vendors occupy the area near Gadge Maharaj Bridge and Ganeshwadi’s road. The corporation couldn’t manage the relocation of vegetable vendors.
The mandi has turned into a resting place for the city’s beggars. With the encroached area, the city was slowly losing its beauty. However, with the appointment of Ramesh Pawar, things might get better for Nashik city soon.
