Mushrooming illegal weekly markets a blemish on Navi Mumbai's reputation

While Navi Mumbai is a planned city, the number of rising weekly markets across the city is a major concern for the safety as well as cleanliness of the city. A social activist has written to the Navi Mumbai police commissioner regarding the issue.

Gopal Saha, a former journalist and social activist has raised the concern. He said that in every node in the city, weekly markets are held. He alleged that a racket is active in holding such markets as they collect charges from shop owners from a meagre ₹100 up to ₹500 for one day.

Weekly markets have sprung up in several nodes

He said that even newly developing nodes like Ulwe and Dronagiri too have such markets on different days.

According to him, weekly markets are held near D Mart in New Panvel on Friday, in Khanda Colony on Wednesday, sector 12 Kharghar on Thursday, sector 13 in Kharghar on Tuesday, sector 9 in Ulwe on Sunday and similarly in other places.

“One can see the amount of garbage the next morning at the marketplace. This is how the city is being given a bad look by illegal markets,” said Saha. A senior police official said that they would look into the matter.