Development plans laid by the YIN team
A weekly market is the centre of economic growth and business activities in the rural part of Kolhapur district. Vendors and buyers gather on one specific day during the entire week to make their purchases.
The market place is usually congested with buyers, overcrowded tiny streets, vegetable vendors and stalls and surroundings full of waste and garbage that attract flies and insects. Arrangement of proper waste disposal bins and inadequate supply of water is one of the major concerns that needs to be addressed on such days.
Different types of vendors visit the marketplace to sell their goods, but there is no system of allocating space to them to set up their stalls. This also leads to dispute amongst vendors while setting up their stalls. Stall vendors also face a lot of problem due to lack of electricity and are harassed by the local administrative bodies even though they pay a certain amount as tax for utilising space in the market.
Another point of concern for these vendors is the lack of cold storage space to store their unsold agricultural and vegetable produce. As a result, perishable goods are discarded the next day. Even though these markets are visited by a large number of women, inadequate sanitation facilities is a major concern.
The Young Inspirators Network(YIN) has come forward to solve these issues, starting with one of these weekly marketplaces set up near Kolhapur. The project has been discussed with the local MLA, Mr. Prakash Abitkar, during the Voice For Change programme held last month. He has come forward to address these problems and taken keen interest in resolving these issues at the basic level.