The market was built in 1868, two years after the Vellore municipality was established in 1866. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
The Vellore Corporation has started desilting and rehabilitating old, dilapidated stormwater drains at the British-era Netaji Wholesale Market, located opposite the fort complex, to prevent flooding during the monsoon.
Corporation officials said the existing 1.5-acre Netaji Wholesale Market has 982 shops including 282 retail outlets. The market was built in 1868, two years after the Vellore municipality was established in 1866.
In its early days, the market had only 200 stalls before more shops were added over the years. “The old drains in the market have not been desilted for many years. Apart from the desilting work, the Corporation will also reconstruct the damaged drains at identified places in the market to prevent flooding,” R. Lakshmanan, Commissioner, Vellore Corporation, told The Hindu.
The market got its name after officials from the Vellore City Vegetable Traders Association decided to name it after freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose in the 1960s. The market is a lifeline for residents within the limits of society, covering 60 wards with a population of more than 10 thousand people.
Every day on an average 80-100 trucks from neighboring states like AP, Karnataka, Maharashtra come to the market to offload essentials. “De-silting and repairing the drains in the market is a welcome measure. Earlier, many shops in the market used to close shop during heavy rains as the facilities would be waterlogged,” said P. Gnanavel, president of the Vellore All Traders Association.
Company officials said the existing drain averages one foot wide and two feet deep. The narrow drain is also clogged due to the huge amount of silt deposits. As a result, excess rainwater from nearby drains overflowed into the market, leading to flooding.
Ongoing work will remove silt deposits in the drain. The market’s interconnected water channels will be widened to drain excess rainwater. The expanded water channel will be 1.5 meters wide and three meters deep. The work will be completed in the coming weeks.
Corporation officials said the civic body’s attempts to redevelop the market with modern facilities failed after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) refused to grant NOC as the market is located in the 100-metre restricted area of the fort complex, a protected monument, under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASAR) Act, 20.
Along with this, the corporation also plans to restore the crumbling clock tower to its original luster using lime and mortar. Dense vegetation on its structures including walls and pillars will be removed. The clock will be prepared by experts from Kolkata. Artisans from South Tamil Nadu will be called in for masonry work.
Corporation officials said the clock tower, which is part of the market complex, was installed by residents to commemorate the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary in Delhi on December 12, 1911.
Published – 01 Nov 2025 05:30 IST
