Rain leaves Koyambedu market filthy, prices drop sharply

CHENNAI: More than two feet of stagnant water, rotting vegetables, fruits, and other waste material scattered across the area greeted visitors to the Koyambedu fruit and vegetable market on Wednesday. Ankle-deep slush inside the retail section made the experience more challenging for those daring enough to venture into the market.

The reduced demand for vegetables and fruits led to a sharp drop in prices. S Muthukumar, a wholesale vegetable trader, said that earlier in the week, panic buying had driven up prices when news of heavy rains and a red alert was sounded for Wednesday. However, demand reduced sharply on Wednesday.

Just two days ago, tomatoes were being sold at 120 a kg in the retail market. By Wednesday, the price had fallen to 50 per kg, but there were very few buyers.

Muthukumar said that Tuesday's heavy rain had left the market in knee-deep water, which was being drained on Wednesday. However, low footfall persisted, resulting in large quantities of vegetables being discarded.

Other traders said that the market was still covered in slush, which had not been cleared after the rain, further deterring customers. This poor maintenance added to the challenges in a market that is usually bustling during this season.

S Srinivasan, president of the fruit market, said there is a significant drop in fruit sales too. Normally, around 10 tonnes of fruits are sold daily, but Wednesday saw only sale of around 300kg. The rain alerts on television, combined with the market's deteriorating condition, had driven buyers away, he said.

Traders were forced to discard unsold fruits such as sweet lime and oranges, leaving the market in a filthy state.