Ranchi: Continued rain has left several vegetable markets across the city waterlogged and muddy, affecting business and forcing vendors and shoppers to negotiate slush and stagnant water.Conditions at Kokar and Naga Baba Khatal vendor markets, Shalimar Market in Dhurwa, Khadgarha vegetable market and roadside stalls near Tagore Hill have worsened, with rainwater accumulating alongside soggy vegetable waste.Vendors said inadequate drainage and uneven surfaces pose recurring problems during the monsoon, affecting sales and raising hygiene concerns. At several places, rainwater mixed with mud and discarded leaves, making the markets slippery and discouraging shoppers.“Customers stop at the entrance, see the mud and leave. Footfall drops sharply by afternoon. We have to keep shifting vegetables onto crates to prevent them from getting soaked,” said Sunita Devi, a vendor at Kokar vendor market.Ramesh Mahto, a roadside vendor near Tagore Hill, said rainwater had no outlet. “We spread plastic sheets, but water still enters the vending area. Vegetables rot after remaining damp throughout the day, causing losses,” he said.Shoppers also complained of difficulty navigating the markets. “It is difficult to walk without slipping. Elderly people and children cannot move around comfortably, and carrying bags through the slush is another challenge,” said Priya Kumari, a shopper at Shalimar Market.Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) officials, however, said sanitation measures had been intensified at vendor markets under the civic body’s jurisdiction. Assistant municipal commissioner Nikesh Kumar said cleaning frequency had been increased, particularly to remove vegetable waste.“Complaints of waterlogging are not regularly received from RMC-managed vendor markets. Our teams also monitor the area near Tagore Hill. Around 300 to 350 vendors operate in designated weekly markets, and sanitation workers conduct 10 to 15 cleaning rounds daily across different vending locations,” Kumar said.
