Kolkata: In a city where bulldozers have become synonymous with drive against encroachments since the new govt assumed office in May, clearance of roads and pavements at Mechhua fruit market has taken a different route.Govt has cleared decades-old encroachments from one of central Kolkata’s busiest commercial pockets without deploying a bulldozer. Meetings between Jorasanko police, merchants and retailers led traders to remove fruit stock, lorries and other encroachments, allowing vehicular movement to resume.The reopened roads include Madan Mohan Burman Street, Balak Dutta Lane, Bal Mukanda Macker Lane, Munshi Sadruddin Street, Bhallav Das Street, Ramlochan Mullick Street and portions of Mahatma Gandhi Road, Chittaranjan Avenue and Tara Chand Dutt Street.A Jorasanko police officer said the administration chose dialogue over demolition. “We spoke to the traders and explained that the roads and pavements had to be cleared for traffic movement. They understood the situation and cooperated with us,” said the officer.“We were trying to remove the encroachments by requesting the merchants and retailers for the past one year but somehow it did not happen. When the new government came into office, the police directed the merchants and retailers and the encroachments were removed,” said Shahid Ahmed Khan, general secretary of the Calcutta Fruits Merchants’ Association.The fruit market, established in 1932 and regarded as the largest fruit market in eastern India, has over 1,200 merchants and retailers. Trading activity had spilled onto roads, with fruit stock, loading, unloading and auctions restricting movement.“This will help us decongest Central Avenue and the Central Avenue-Mahatma Gandhi Road crossing,” said a traffic department officer.Officials said reopening the roads could ease congestion in Burrabazar. “We are monitoring the area to prevent fresh encroachments and ensure uninterrupted traffic movement through the reopened corridor,” said a traffic sergeant posted on Mahatma Gandhi Road.According to the Calcutta Fruits Merchants’ Association, the market records a turnover of more than Rs 1,000 crore a day during the peak fruit season.
