Bhopal markets sanitation strike disruption has forced traders in New Market, Chowk Bazaar and 10 No. Market to clean streets themselves, with garbage piling up during the peak Diwali shopping rush and a day before Dhanteras. Shopkeepers said they feared the conditions could discourage customers and affect festive sales.
The disruption was reported in New Market and Chowk Bazaar, two of the city’s busiest commercial areas, where traders used brooms, collected waste in large bags and placed it outside their shops. Dhanteras traditionally brings heavy footfall to markets, particularly for jewellery and other festive purchases.
New Market was affected for the second consecutive day, according to the report. Ajay Devnani, vice-president of the New Market Vyapar Sanrakshan Samiti, said the market was usually among Bhopal’s cleanest commercial areas but had been left in poor condition during the sanitation strike. He said traders had begun cleaning the market themselves so customers would not face inconvenience.
New Market has about 900 shops. Including the adjoining GTB Complex, Jawahar Bhavan, Roshanpura and Malviya Nagar areas, the wider commercial zone has nearly 1,250 establishments selling garments, cosmetics, footwear, bags, food items and other products. The traders’ association also sent messages to members asking them to maintain cleanliness around their shops during the festive period.
Devnani appealed to sanitation workers to resume duties in view of the festive season and urged the municipal corporation to address their demands at the earliest. The report did not specify the nature of the workers’ demands, but the disruption has placed responsibility for immediate street-level cleaning on individual businesses and trader associations.
A similar situation was reported in Chowk Bazaar, which has around 400 jewellery stores. Naresh Agrawal, president of the Shree Sarafa Association, said traders were cleaning the areas around their shops because garbage and dirt had accumulated throughout the market. He said the conditions could adversely affect business on Dhanteras and that the situation would become difficult if the strike continued.
Shopkeepers at 10 No. Market were also making their own arrangements. A cosmetics shop owner said large garbage bags had been placed outside shops and traders were sweeping the surrounding areas to keep them clean. The report did not state when municipal sanitation services would resume, leaving traders to manage cleanliness during one of the busiest shopping periods of the year.
