Desolate pavement stands out: No more Pondy bazaar on pavement

Chennai: Sitting under a huge roadside tree on Th­yagaraya road in Pondy Bazaar, Dha­napal sti­tches the sole of a worn out black leather shoe. The cobbler has been sitting under this tree, stitching damaged sho­es and slippers for the last 20 years but his little ‘office’ that takes hardly three square feet space, has never received any attention all these years.

“At least two dozen shops used to be present on the pavement behind me until two weeks ago. I keep on with my business unnoticed, making around Rs 200 every day,” he says. When this newspaper cameramen aimed his lens at him, Dhanapal lamented that he was receiving too much un­wanted attention these days. “A few days ago, some policemen came and beat me up. They want me to move out of here too,” he says.

Behind Dhanapal now lies a wide, desolate pavement that used to be one of the most crowded sidewalks in the city. With the corporation evicting all pavement vendors to a multi-storeyed complex nearby, the colourful boards of retail outlets that were earlier shrouded behind huge tarpaul in sheets and makeshift roofs of these pavement shops now stand out.

Shoppers take a stroll along the sidewalks of Theyagaraya Road in Pondy Bazaar. — Ganesh

“It is definitely good for us,” says Sheikh, a cloth merchant from Paramakudi, who has had his shop at Pondy Bazaar for the last 12 years. “Now there is a slight lull in the business due to repair work but it will definitely pick up once the new pavement is laid. Until now, upmarket custo­me­rs preferred shopp­ing malls to Pondy Ba­zaar as they had to wr­i­g­gle their way out in th­is crowded street. We ex­­­pect to expand our bu­siness to a more elite clientele,” he says as he waves to pedestrians wa­­lking along the pavement to come to his sh­op.

A little further down on the road, the pavement is clogged with motor bikes and scooters. While Shankar too like other retailers, welcomes the corporation move in clearing pavement vendors at Pondy Bazaar, he and the ot­her shop owners hope th­at motorcycles and sc­ooters do not crowd the pavements henceforth.

Chennai: While vehicle drivers and pedestrians may rejoice at the sight of the empty roads of Pondy Bazaar, the place now presents a sad sight to a huge section of women shoppers. The crowded place with over 300 shops lined up along the pavements had provided a variety fare for women of all age groups to pick up latest accessories or dresses at affordable prices.

“I have picked up over hundreds of items from these roadside shops over the last three decades and about 70 per cent of them were of good quality,” avers 50-year-old Sulakshana Sundar.

“Today, they present a sad sight, “ she adds.

Though all shopkeepers have been given a place in the adjacent shopping complex, many girls complain about missing the pleasure of shopping in an open space.

“It was a haven for retail therapy and there was some unmistakable element of safety in those open areas. I find this new place too claustrophobic,” says college student Poornima who had come to shop here.

Of the 629 traders allotted space inside the complex, only one third have set up shops while most are still finishing carpentry and interior works.

“I used to have a daily business of close to Rs 5000 out there and here it is a miracle if I get even one customer a day,” laments Afzal who sells ladies’ bags.

While the pavements gave about a 10x10 area for most players, all traders have been allotted a 5x5 area in the new complex.

“This has drastically affected our display,” said Sathish who hawks fashion jewellery. The biggest advantage of shopping in Pondy Bazaar was a grand display of all kinds of accessories which women could browse through at one-go.

“Out there, just two of us used to handle 20 customers at a time but here if four people step into the shop, I have to step out,” says Akbar.

“They had a big advantage of shopping from inside their cars parked along the road. Now, all that’s gone,” he adds.