Market underneath Six Mile flyover: How secure is the market?

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The daily bazaar under Six Mile over-bridge is one of the busy markets of the city that attracts large crowds each day. As the bazaar is a hotspot for the city residents, various sellers of fruits, meat, fish, vegetables and even condiments, earn a huge profit each day. However, amidst the flourishing business, the moot question is the security arrangement for the market.

The serial blast of October 30, 2008 still remains fresh on the minds of people. Business enterprises, daily bazaar, etc all reduced to ashes at the blink of an eye, alerted the authorities about the security measures that needed to be taken for such busy markets. As the Six Mile daily bazaar falls under the sensitive zone, it might be the target for any terror incidents at any given time. As such, the need for strict vigilance is of utmost importance.

This bazaar was legalized by Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) a while back and although it was expected that the move would initiate better security arrangements, no such measures were undertaken by the city authorities. The bazaar also lacks CCTV cameras, giving miscreants an open field.

Moreover, the area often falls into heavy congestion due to haphazard parking by the buyers. During peak hours, traffic comes to a standstill for hours on end, often resulting in annoyed honking and brawls in the middle of the road.

A bazaar in the middle of a busy intersection demands proper parking zones but since the locality is too constricted for such arrangements, it raises questions about whether the GMC mapped out a plan while legalizing the bazaar.

Speaking to The Sentinel, a police official, who wishes to remain unnamed, said, “First off, there should be no bazaar underneath a flyover. However, since it has already somehow happened, we make occasional patrols owing to the dearth of CCTV cameras.”

GMC joint commissioner Siddhartha Goswami said, “This is a legalized bazaar and till date, we have not had any serious incidents that might make us question our decision. The market renewal guidelines are being carried as per GMC norms and although the security of the Bazaar is in the hands of the city police, we make occasional visits as well.”

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