Temporary Sheds Put Up by Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) for Retail Merchants, who were forced out of Central Market, Now being used by migrants and beggars for ‘Home Quarantine’ ?
Mangaluru: When immigrants come to their hometown, Mangaluru from Gulf and other countries, they will have to shell out from Rs 2500-Rs 4500 on a hotel room per day as part of their 7-14 days quarantine- but on the other hand, the low-wage migrants and beggars are the lucky ones, since they don’t have to pay anything for their ‘Quarantine Places”, since the recently temporary tin/metal roofed sheds put up by Mangaluru City Corporation come handy for these nomads/wanderers- who have made Mangaluru as their hometown, during the pandemic.
When the wholesale traders were shifted from the old location of Central Market which used to be in the heart of city, to Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Yard in Baikampady, in the outskirts of Mangaluru on 4 April 2020- and also the veg and fruit retailers and other businesses who were operating their businesses in the old building were ordered to move out, due to congestion of space which abuses the guidelines of Covid-19- and also that Mangaluru City Corporation have plans to demolish the old Central Market and build a state-of-the art new Central Market, in the meantime, the retail merchants who had no place to continue their business, and having no income had held a protest on 6 May 2020, near Lady Goschen Hospital demanding that they be provided places so that they could earn their living, until the temporary market is built in few months.
In response to the demands placed before the Mangaluru City Corporation during the protest, MCC Mayor, MLA Vedavyas Kamath, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and other officials obliged their certain demands, and for the timing, to earn their living the administration has installed temporary aluminum sheet covered sheds, for the benefit of these retailers.(Ref: MCC provides Sheds for Retail Merchants of Original Central Market til Temporary Central Market is Built ). These sheds had been put up near the Indira Canteen, where it has been a parking lot for tempos, mini trucks for decades; near Town Hall compound wall; and along the street adjacent to Lady Goschen Hospital. However, when the temporary sheds were ready for use, the retail vendors were reluctant to start their trade in these sheds, citing that the sheds were not appropriate to do business, and water would leak inside during monsoons, and also citing other reasons.
And since the month of May, these temporary sheds have been lying empty, with no one using them-thus resulting in tax-payers money going down the drain, on a project not put into use. Noting that the sheds were not put into use, out of town migrants, destitute and homeless have happily made these sheds as their “Home Quarantine?” places. The sheds have come handy for them to stay dry when it pours. Some of them have even put up beds to have a good-night sleep. A few of them are making use of the sheds to play cards. Even the beggars are seen using the sheds. Apart from human beings, you could also see stray dogs happily enjoying their sleeping time inside the sheds.
Just wondering if the concerned authorities of MCC or District Administration are aware of this pathetic situation taking place at these temporary sheds, where these nomads/beggars are not maintaining social distancing, many of them not wearing face masks, with total lack of hygiene among them. You can see these people drinking alcohol and throwing empty bottles/packets, chew paan/gutka and spit around, and also dirty the surroundings with empty food containers/cups etc. How can the district authorities allow these wanderers/destitute roam freely, who totally don’t follow in Covid-19 guidelines, when we are seeing rise in Covid-19 cases every single day. Why are our officials, including MP Nalin Kumar Kateel MLA Vedavyas Kamath, District Minister-in-charge Kota Srinivas Poojary, DC Ms Sindhu Roopesh, among others turning a blind eye towards this issue.
With a rising number of positive coronavirus cases in the City every day, but none of the officials have taken any measures in providing shelter, food or other Covid-19 essentials to these homeless and migrants. And with many of these migrants/homeless not adhering to social distancing, not wearing masks etc, we are looking into more virus cases spreading. With coronavirus sending people into isolation and public establishments shutting down, these people are facing hard time finding food. Many of them are starving with no one serving them, except White Doves, a NGO caring for the destitute, and needy. Other than Mrs Corrine Rasquinha, the Founder of White Doves who puts in her efforts to care for these nomads, is any of our authorities doing a damn thing about the misery faced by these nomads.
In conclusion, until the district officials come up with a solution to take care of these homeless migrants/beggars, Team Mangalorean kindly request our readers and their relatives and friends, to come forward and feed these strays-humans and animals, so that they won’t suffer out of starvation. Your kind gesture will be very much appreciated. YES, WE ALL CAN DO IT TO SAVE THEM FROM HUNGER & DEATH!
