Delhi’s agricultural markets will receive upgrades to internal roads, storage sheds, drainage and vehicle-weighing systems under four projects announced across Azadpur, Keshopur and Narela, with the works intended to improve conditions for farmers, traders and market workers.
Chief minister Rekha Gupta laid the foundation stones for the projects on Friday. The works cover the reconstruction of internal roads at Keshopur Fruit and Vegetable Market, two temporary sheds at Narela’s New Grain Market, repairs to sewerage and drainage infrastructure at Azadpur New Vegetable Market, and the installation of a slow-speed weigh-in-motion system at Azadpur Fruit and Vegetable Market.
At Keshopur, roads that are more than 20 years old will be rebuilt at an estimated cost of Rs 9.5 crore. The project targets the internal circulation network used by vehicles and people within the market, which handles the movement of agricultural produce.
The two sheds planned at Narela’s New Grain Market will be spread across the 33-acre market. The covered structures are intended to provide storage space and protect grain from rain and other adverse weather conditions. The announcement did not specify the construction timeline or the total cost of the sheds.
At Azadpur New Vegetable Market, sewerage and drainage lines in Blocks B and C will be repaired. The work is intended to address damaged and clogged pipelines, leakage and waterlogging. The market is one of the locations where drainage conditions can directly affect the movement and handling of produce, although the announcement did not provide details of the current extent or frequency of disruption.
A weigh-in-motion system will also be installed at the entry and exit gates of Azadpur Fruit and Vegetable Market. The system will allow commercial vehicles to be weighed at slow speed without requiring them to come to a complete halt. The announcement did not state when the system would become operational or provide its estimated cost.
Gupta said the government wanted to move beyond repairs and cosmetic changes and create infrastructure capable of meeting the needs of the next 100 years. She said additional work was planned across agricultural markets on roads, drainage, waste disposal, lighting, healthcare facilities, security systems and technology upgrades.
The chief minister also said consultants had been appointed for the development of Tikri Khampur Fruit and Vegetable Market, while long-term plans were being prepared for markets in Azadpur, Ghazipur, Narela and Keshopur. Development minister Kapil Mishra said infrastructure gaps had persisted in several markets for years, including a lack of proper roads and sewerage facilities in some areas.
The projects place basic market infrastructure at the centre of the government’s planned upgrades. The next publicly announced steps are the execution of the four foundation-stone projects, the preparation of long-term plans for the named markets and the development planning for Tikri Khampur.
