Greengrocers have gone

T.Nagar is known for its music sabhas, silk sari showrooms, temples, and the huge Panagal Park. Adjoining the park is a vegetable and fruit market. The sight of fresh, colourful vegetables neatly arranged, almost with an element of design, makes marketing a pleasure.

Here one can find exotic produce such as Chinese cabbage, leeks, avocados, mushrooms, etc., along with country vegetables. A variety of greens, including 'vallarai' is always available. A brisk trade takes place right through the day, into the night. Snappy assistants, speaking a smattering of English, help you carry the baskets to your vehicle.

From a homely market came the concrete shops, little cubicles stretching onto the pavements. Today, most of the greengrocers have given way to tailoring shops - a strange happening. Both the tailors and the few vegetable sellers are busy taking orders over the telephone. So how and why did this transformation come about? The rentals have shot up from Rs. 400 to about Rs. 2,000 a month for a tiny space, and business is less than before, feel the shopkeepers. It could also be that there are too many neighbourhood department stores selling packaged vegetables and fruits as also readily cut vegetables?

RUPA GOPAL

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