Market complex at the heart of the city : Formula to add to the congestion
- Sangai Express Editorial :: June 21, 2013 -

Bazar centric mindset. Pedestrian thoughts.

Cannot look beyond the periphery of the present commercial centres of Khwairamband Keithel, Paona Keithel, Thangal Keithel and BT Road.

This is well illustrated in the announcement of the Chief Minister that the State Government has sent a Detailed Project Report to the Centre to set up a permanent market complex at the campus of the erstwhile Tombisana High School, plum in the heart of the city.

Addressing the plight of the street vendors is the noble intent spelt out behind the grand plan to set up the market complex at the said site.

Addressing an important and urgent issue or adding more headache to the congestion that is growing with each day at the heart of Imphal ?

Lack of geography knowledge or failing-refusal may be more apt-to look beyond the next three or four years.

A cursory look at the location of the said site should be more than enough to understand the significance of this observation. As things stand today, 21st June, 2013, the site where Tombisana High School once stood is flanked by BT Road to the south, MG Avenue to the north, Thangal bazar to the west and NH-2 or Kanglapat road to the East, a long stretch of which has been turned into parking lots for passenger vehicles, such as auto rickshaws, Tata Magic and others.

Wouldn’t it make much better sense to convert the said site to a parking lot for the passenger vehicles and at least ease the flow of traffic on the busy Kanglapat road ?

The response of the Centre is yet to come, but the State Government obviously has an interim plan, pending the approval from Delhi-come up with a temporary market shed, with all the roofings at Lamphel in front of Shankar Talkies.

Why not make things simpler and build the proposed permanent market complex at Lamphel ? Or is it more complex than this ?

The idea of market expansion in real terms of territory or geography obviously has not registered in the minds of the people who matter.

About three years back the market sheds at Nagamapal were dismantled and the vendors were shifted to the site where the district hospital once stood, just north of BT Road and to Lamphel in front of Shankar Talkies.

The initial impression that the alternative sites would develop into market hubs, however evaporated in no time, especially at Lamphel. The reason why this is so should be obvious to all.

Not rocket science technology, definitely. Once the market sheds at Nagamapal were pulled down, no thoughts were given on how to house the vendors shifted to Lamphel.

An open space, that is all that was given. No shelter, nothing. A case of if it rains bear with the slush and if is does not put up with the dust and the heat.

That markets depend on connectivity was again lost on the minds of the leaders who have been managing the affairs of the people and the land. All roads that lead to the market at Lamphel are nothing much more than dirt tracks.

Another example of Inter-Village roads adorning Imphal. The approach roads to the market at Lamphel have been at the stage of ‘repair’ for years now.

These perspectives apparently have obviously flown over the heads of the people who matter.

Dirt tracks, slushy, muddy and dusty state of the markets and here is a near perfect formula of keeping a market strictly off limit to the customers.

This is where the argument that customers will not come to Lamphel falls flat. The Government should learn to keep its priorities right.

In the long term, it absolutely makes no sense to centralise all commercial activities in the vicinity of the present commercial centres. Spread out is the formula that should be applied now.