Coimbatore Begins Long-Delayed Road Repairs at MGR Market Amid Complaints
Coimbatore’s long-neglected MGR Wholesale Vegetable Market is finally witnessing road redevelopment as the civic body begins long-pending blacktopping work inside the premises. The move has brought long-awaited relief to traders and transporters who had been grappling with deteriorating infrastructure, particularly during monsoon spells.
The market’s critical role in regional food distribution had been undercut by flooded passages, slush, and inaccessible zones—disrupting both livelihoods and the supply chain. The long-stalled revamp is now underway under the city’s capital grants initiative.The ongoing blacktopping effort follows years of persistent complaints by market stakeholders and is part of a broader Rs 3.15 crore modernisation project funded through the Capital Grants Scheme in the 2023–24 city budget. Initially envisioned alongside the redevelopment of the Anna Daily Market and the Tomato Market in Sundarapuram, the MGR Market’s road repairs had remained stalled, despite its regional significance in the supply of vegetables across Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Kerala.
The market premises, located in the city’s west zone, had long suffered from waterlogging and severe surface erosion, especially during the rainy season. According to civic engineers, the area’s lack of drainage compounded the degradation of the road surface, with rain turning the space into a muddy quagmire. In extreme cases, vegetable trucks got stuck in the slush, delaying supply to various districts and affecting the revenue of hundreds who depend on the wholesale trade ecosystem. Officials now confirm that the blacktopping and drainage improvement works are progressing phase-wise to avoid disruption of day-to-day operations. The upgrade is expected to not only enhance road safety and reduce congestion within the market but also support smoother movement of goods, reduce waste spoilage, and strengthen urban food resilience—aligning with the city’s broader goals for eco-friendly and equitable infrastructure development.
While the community welcomes the move, market vendors and civic observers are cautiously optimistic, urging the authorities to maintain momentum and follow through with other promised improvements such as sanitation, lighting, and vendor amenities—without another long wait.
