Rekha Gupta cites poor sanitation, infrastructure and safety concerns at Delhi’s seven agricultural wholesale markets, including Azadpur Mandi, one of Asia’s largest produce hubs
The Chief Minister of Delhi, Rekha Gupta, has reportedly told officials to embark on a series of projects to modernise the city’s fruit, vegetable, and flower markets – known locally as mandis.
As noted in The Hindu, in a meeting this week Gupta raised concerns about the “poor state” of the markets’ sanitation, waste management, road infrastructure, market safety, drainage, and drinking water supply.
“There will be no shortage of funds for improving our mandis,” she said in a statement. “The Delhi government is fully committed to transforming these spaces into modern, well-equipped markets that serve farmers, traders, and the public with dignity. Land and other necessary resources would be made available to execute the plan.”
Delhi’s seven agricultural wholesale markets are managed by the Delhi Agricultural Marketing Board.
One of them, Azadpur Mandi, is reckoned to be one of Asia’s largest wholesale fruit and vegetable markets, handling around 8,000–10,000 tonnes of produce every day.
Another, Ghazipur Mandi, is a major centre for fruit, vegetables, and flowers. Its proximity to the overflowing Ghazipur landfill, as well as reports of recent public health concerns during heavy rainfall, has brought the issue of modernisation to the fore in recent weeks.
