![\"Rain](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-132711586,imgsize-328157,width-400,height-225,resizemode-75\/9aba8f22-5283-4f7d-92aa-ca36d70037c3_vegetable_market_2jpg.jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRanchi:<\/span> 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.\u201cCustomers 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,\u201d said Sunita Devi, a vendor at Kokar vendor market.Ramesh Mahto, a roadside vendor near Tagore Hill, said rainwater had no outlet. \u201cWe spread plastic sheets, but water still enters the vending area. Vegetables rot after remaining damp throughout the day, causing losses,\u201d he said.Shoppers also complained of difficulty navigating the markets. \u201cIt is difficult to walk without slipping. Elderly people and children cannot move around comfortably, and carrying bags through the slush is another challenge,\u201d 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\u2019s jurisdiction. Assistant municipal commissioner Nikesh Kumar said cleaning frequency had been increased, particularly to remove vegetable waste.\u201cComplaints 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,\u201d Kumar said.<\/div>\n