Chennai: As the newly constructed fish auction stall at Kasimedu remains non-functional for two years of completing the construction work, traders are forced to use the open space, tolerating the sultry temperatures. It is a tedious task for A. Shankaran, a 65-year-old trader, who travels from Kancheepuram to the Kasimedu fish market to purchase over 50 kg of fish every Sunday. As the state-in-art facilitated auction hall remains locked, he uses the open space, which is half-a-km away to obtain the meat.
The fishermen community has abandoned the freshly painted building as it has a major infrastructure lapse: Lack of parking and transportation facilities and ice storage centre. “I was very happy when the fisheries department had constructed the auction stall. However, it is completely unfit for auction. It looks like a facility for exports,” said Shankaran. “There is no ice storage facility in the vicinity. How can traders walk for half a kilometre, with loads of fish, in order to obtain ice?” asked K. Bharathi of the South Indian Fishermen's Federation.
The fishermen also lament that the auction hall is small and cannot cater to over 15,000 traders who visit the place from Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts. A comprehensive parking facility for the transport vehicles is absent at the auction stall. The business starts as early as 2 am and goes on till afternoon sometimes. “We have no choice but to conduct an auction in the sultry heat,” lamented fisherman Armugam who requested fisheries department to hold talks with the community on the facilities to be improvised here.
Officials from the fisheries department assured Deccan Chronicle to hold talks with the fishermen at the earliest. “We will kickstart the work soon,” the official said.
