Though the civic body has emphasised that it will not encroach into the morning walker’s path or sections of the Maidan where Durga Pujas are organised, green activists are opposed to turning — what is essentially an oasis in the midst of concrete — into a market for three-four years till the new market is redeveloped.
Mayor Firhad Hakim said the only place where the stall owners could be relocated temporarily is the Park Circus Maidan. “We do not wish to encroach on any green space. But given that there is no empty land available nearby, we have to find a compromising solution. Park Circus is the only alternative. We are asking the shopkeepers to relocate there till the market is redeveloped,” said Hakim.
Last month, a concrete chunk had fallen off a second floor parapet of the 75-year-old market, critically injuring a shopper. “The market is in extremely dilapidated condition and both traders and shoppers are vulnerable. Though we have set up protective nets to prevent a mishap, it is a short-term measure. The market has to be demolished and a new structure need to be rebuilt. To do so, hawkers have to be temporarily relocated. After a survey Park Circus Maidan is the only option,” said a markets department official. There are around 550 traders in Park Circus market.
The stall owners though are unwilling to shift out and want KMC to develop a part of the market while they carry on with trade. Additionally, fruits, vegetables, fish and meat stall owners, who have open air stalls, said they should not be relocated as it is the building that is in poor shape.
Environmentalist Bonani Kakkar pointed out that when such relocations happen, the park gets completely scarred for years. “The parks belong to citizens. KMC is entrusted for its upkeep and is the custodian, not the owner. When College Street market was being redeveloped, stall owners settled in Marcus Square and stayed there for years. Now, concrete structures have been set up in Jatin Das Park to accommodate stalls owners from Kalighat. They will do something similar in Park Circus. Unless there is commitment to the project being time-bound and the entire area restored thereafter, the relocation should not happen,” she said.
People who use the park for sports and exercise also opposed the idea. “Please leave the only patch of green that is there in the belt,” said morning walker Syed Anwar Maqsood.