Rain plays spoilsport on street vendors’ businesses

Recent rains in Madurai disrupt street vendors' businesses, causing losses due to slushy roads and stagnant rainwater in the city.

Recent rains in Madurai have played a spoilsport on the businesses of street vendors in the city. Slushy roads and rainwater-filled streets have forced the vendors to close down the shops much earlier, thus denting their usual business. 

Madurai city has been witnessing heavy rain for the past few days. This has worsened the condition of several roads across the city.

Several places have rainwater stagnating in the potholes, and many manholes have also been broken. This has led to sewage and rainwater flowing through the streets and stagnating in several places. They also make the roads muddy and slushy as they drain the next day. This means the local street vendors cannot sit on the sidewalks and sell their goods. 

G. Maheswari, a vegetable-seller on Netaji Road, said that people do not buy the vegetables during rainy days. So, she is forced to either sell them for half the rate or feed them to cattle, as they rot if not sold the very same day. Such conditions have made her lose more than ₹ 2,000 in the last three days, she said.

“The manhole near the junction is also broken and is leaking sewage into the streets. When the rains come they mix and run throughout the street. People don’t buy the goods due to the stench. It also raises concerns of dengue and other infections,” she added. 

M. Pandi, a betel leaf seller on East Avani Moola Street junction, is also facing the same predicament. He added that people buy betel leaves usually during the evenings and these mid afternoon rain has hampered his business.

Moreover, the manhole near his shop has been broken for more than a week. So rainwater and sewage both stagnate and stink up the entire place.