Traders stand to lose a Lot

KOCHI: Development and growth are two necessary conditions for the progress of an economy but when it affects the livelihood of many citizens, the extent of development stands to be questioned. The plan to widen MG Road poses in front of such an issue. While the widening of the road will definitely contribute to improving the traffic and drainage problems in the city, the shopkeepers and hawkers are faced with the issues of reconstruction and dislocation.Kaja, a roadside teashop owner finds the widening of MG Road a good aspect of development but at the same time understands that he will have to relocate his tea shop and establish himself at a new spot. Sainudeen of Lens And Frames is worried that a corner of his shop will be lost in the process of widening. “The traffic blocks on MG Road are already a pending issue, This will further worsen during the time of widening,” Deepak, the manager of B S A Motors complains. He says that the process of construction will take a long time to complete and therefore will affect the business as a whole.On the other hand Chandravathi, an employee at Sukrith Metals and Gifts, agrees that “development is a necessary condition for society and therefore we must understand its importance and gracefully accept it.”Ramlal Prabhu, the owner of R V Metals, explains the boon and bane of the widening. He agrees that it can contribute towards reducing the traffic issues in the city but he is worried about the various enterprises that stand to lose their space on the roadside. He says: “If we play safe and follow the various guidelines, we do not stand to lose much of our property. But it will in general affect the business owing to lack of footpath and parking facilities. MG Road provides the maximum income for the state via taxes. Therefore, there is a need to ensure that these businesses do not fail. Another issue that he points out is the reconstruction of the temple gopuram on MG Road. He hopes that the drainage system would improve after the widening of the roads. He also points out that if all unauthorised buildings need to be demolished, then many more building across the state will have to face the same.Anu, the manager of Punjabi Libas, expresses more worry and concern about the situation. The shop, situated close to the road, stands to lose a major portion of the showroom. This will affect more than the business. The situation calls for the entire reconstruction of the shop. “The widening has negative impacts on our business at various levels. But at the end of the day, we remind ourselves that this is for development,” Ajeesh, who owns Vijronics, has been running his rented shop since 1972. He explains that around 95 per cent of the shops on MG Road are rented. So the impact shall be less on the shopkeepers. Their major concern shall be relocation. “For the citizens of Kochi who commute through the daily traffic block on MG Road, the widening of the road is an absolute necessity. For the larger cause of the nation, the citizens may have to sacrifice their individual rights, says a passer-by. In the end their looms a certain amount of uncertainty about the coming plan but everyone hopes that the plan will turn out be a success.