Chandigarh: Plans for a second wholesale fruit and vegetable market in Sector 39 have taken a major step forward with the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) granting environmental clearance to the project.The proposed mandi will occupy nearly 2.9 lakh square metres and will include auction sheds, 130 shop/offices and shops, a separate vendors’ market, marketing board offices, a bank, a Sampark centre, a night shelter and a grain warehouse.Modern facilities for post-harvest management form a key part of the design. Two cold storage units with a combined capacity of 2,000 metric tonnes, along with ripening chambers, are planned to enhance the storage and handling of produce.Authorities will also develop a green belt covering 44,448 square metres inside the complex. An in-house composting plant capable of processing 14 tonnes of waste per day will handle the estimated 10 to 15 tonnes of wet waste likely to be generated daily.The SEIAA has attached specific conditions for the clearance. These require the planting of 10 saplings for every tree that is cut and prior approval from the municipal corporation before rainwater can be discharged into the city’s drainage system.
