MARGAO
Where there’s a will, there’s a way, so goes the good old adage. Welcome to the SGPDA wholesale fish market, the symbol of stink, filth and unhygienic environment over the years, where illegal vending ruled the roost along the road and vehicular parking alongside the road was a norm than an exception.
The stench, however, has disappeared overnight. The wholesale fish market entrance platform is as clean as any other pavement. Illegal vendors along the wholesale fish market road have suddenly gone missing and fish vendors making a disappearing act from the half-a-kilometre long wholesale fish market road.
Thanks to the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting of Foreign Ministers at the Taj Exotica, Benaulim on May 4-5, the stench has suddenly disappeared from the wholesale fish market.
For, ahead of the arrival of the Foreign Ministers, including the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, Russia, besides India, the authorities seemed to have left nothing to chance since the VVIPs will be travelling by the wholesale fish market to reach their destination at Benaulim.
Consider this. Operations at the wholesale fish market normally begin in the wee hours of the day at around 3 am when most people are still in their bed. And, the fish trading used to normally end by around 9 am, with the fish vendors later taking the platform outside the market to continue with the business.
Tuesday saw a complete turnaround at the wholesale fish market. The market was shut down right at dawn at 6 am. By 8 am, not a single fish laden truck was seen either at the wholesale fish market or outside. Instead, to the utter surprise of fish buyers, labourers descended inside the market and outside, clearing the filth and waste left behind after the business activity.
Water tankers were pressed into service to wash the market and the platform outside. By noon, the stinking market and the platform outside wore a new look, with the stench suddenly disappearing from the area.
Taken aback by the flurry of activity seen inside the market and outside, fish buyers heaved a sigh of relief that the wholesale fish market has finally got a fresh lease of life, before realization dawned that the cleanup operation is not part of a routine exercise, but is being executed in view of the arrival of Foreign Ministers for a conference at neighbouring Benaulim.
“The clean up operation has only proved that where there’s a will, there’s a way. This only goes to show that SGPDA and other authorities can maintain the wholesale fish market in a hygienic state every day. We only hope that the authorities look after the upkeep and maintenance of the wholesale fish market even after the conference of Foreign Ministers”, remarked a fish buyer.
