India’s biggest flower market to get makeover
After lying in abeyance for nearly eight years, work on the redevelopment of the Ghazipur flower market will begin in August, according to officials familiar with the development. The market, visited by retailers, florists, wedding planners, event managers, and sometimes tourists, currently operates out of temporary sheds in the lanes within the market and some even spilling outside onto the main highway. Because of its proximity to the Ghazipur landfill side and the nearby fish and poultry wholesale market, stench is a perennial problem that visitors and traders face.
When the redevelopment project is completed, the market will have a four-storey building with a basement. The scheduled deadline is December 2020. Spread across 10 acres with an estimated cost of R 120 crore [17.7 million USD], the new building will also include an air-conditioned flower exhibition centre.
“The exhibition centre will be built in such a way that people are able to see the flowers while they travel in the upcoming metro stations in and around Patparganj. Currently, the space is disorderly and underutilised. The project’s aim is to make it not only traders’ friendly but also attract tourists,” said Garima Gupta, vice-president of the Delhi Agricultural Marketing Board (DAMB).
Read more at the Hindustan Times (Sweta Goswami)