The beauty of a people's market

Modern Rs. 115 million market complex for Nugegoda:

A modern trading centre built by the Economic Development Ministry is to be opened next week

Dharman WICKREMARATNE

The Colombo suburb of Nugegoda is now on the threshold of a new era. The development projects now under way is bringing about rapid changes to this thickly populated town.

Its history goes back to the Kotte kingdom under King Parakramabahu VI (1415-1467 AD) who unified Sri Lanka. Unlike the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa kingdoms the economies of which were based on agriculture, Kotte's economy was based on commerce and trade. In that era cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, areca, pearls and gems fetched very high prices. Within one-and-a-half centuries four kings ruled Kotte which King Don Juan Dharmapala eventually gave to the Portuguese as a gift of deed. After the Portuguese destroyed the kingdom, Kotte became an ordinary settlement.

In the not so distant past, the area was known for paddy lands and other cultivations. In the 1960s land auctions resulted many people from other areas to migrate to Nugegoda as it was easier for them to travel to work and for their children to gain school admissions. Roads became wide and rows of shops sprang up. My memory goes back to the end of 1960s when I settled at Chapel Lane in Nugegoda with my parents. At that time Nugegoda was a beautiful town with plenty of shady trees and clear streams.

Distant past

The place came to be known as Nugegoda because of the many Nuga trees found in ancient times.

The place where the people's fair and market is located today was known as Ambalamewatte since it was a resting place during Portuguese time. The bus terminus stands where cart loads of knitted-cadjan leaves from Kurunegala were unloaded.

The cart owners parked the carts in a circle and kept the cart bulls within it to protect them against cattle thieves. The cart owners after cooking and having their dinner there spent the night sleeping on the hammocks fixed under the carts.

About three times a year bands of gypsies used to camp on vacant land on either side of Chapel Lane. The gypsy women used to do palm reading while the men got their pet monkeys to entertain the public.

After earning a living in this manner for a couple of weeks they returned to their villages in Thambuttegama in the North Central Province. This was a common sight at the time till about 1980.

All of them used to bathe at the public well near the Quinlon Cinema. Around 2004 this well was bulldozed in one night to construct a shopping centre. Earlier many beli trees, wells for bathing, streams with varieties of inland fish and yams were found where the present supermarket building is located.

Around 1968 some enterprising people who travelled to Nugegoda by train on the narrow gauge Kelani Valley line (today it is broad gauge) started a vegetable business in the town. Their leader was Peter Aiya who hailed from Puwakpitiya. There was a big demand at the time for rice brought from Padukka and vegetables grown in the villages. There were about 12 such people who became pavement hawkers after the 1970 general election. Nugegoda junction was then known for medicinal oil vendors, ayurvedic physicians who treated snake bites. There were also amusing wayside entertainers.

Road widening in Nugegoda began around 1971 forcing 34 pavement hawkers to make their living elsewhere. Nugegoda MP at the time was the then Speaker Stanley Tillekeratne who made an immense contribution to develop the town. On August 28, 1971 he provided space on the land adjoining Railway Avenue for pavement hawkers to do their business after the road widening forced them to move away from the pavements. This was the beginning of the present people's fair and market. He constructed temporary shelters there and leased them to the hawkers through the Kotte Cooperative. At the start there were 61 traders among them Robert Mudalali, Matara Sirisena, Pagoda Appuhamy, Nugegoda Patty Aiya and Siripala.

Central Market building

The foundation stone for the present three-story central market building was laid on December 17, 1973. It was built at a cost of Rs. 4 million and opened on March 4, 1977. It was Stanley Tillekeratne's brainchild and a cause of pride for the people of Nugegoda. But the vegetables sold on the ground floor of the building were too expensive and as a result people were drawn towards the people's fair and market.

The Sri Jayawardenepura Cooperative People's United Traders Society was formed in 1995 to secure the rights of the hawkers during business at the people's fair and market. Its founder was Nisalka Sumithraarachchi who won many concessions for the traders due to his untiring efforts. The stall rent per day ranged from Rs. 15 to Rs. 60. The payments were made to the Cooperative's account. Since November 2010 the Society membership rose to 174. A further 82 hawkers did business without permission along Railway Avenue. Out of them 17 were engaged in selling vegetables and jak fruit. The weekly fair at Delkanda was held only on Sunday. On a working day around 10,000 people came to Nugegoda. It is double that number on weekends.

Sri Jayawardenepura Municipal Council built a new market complex comprising 114 stalls near Welipola, Nawala to move the people's fair to a different location.

At the time, the mayor (UNP) and Cooperative Chairperson was Soma Thalagala. The then Minister Lalith Athulathmudali opened the complex on July 7, 1987. The first stall went to a trader named Neil. But over 100 lorries loaded with sand were parked near the market complex obstructing its activities. Within six months the complex was abandoned and nearly Rs. 10 million in public funds (taxes) the Kotte Municipal Council spent on Nawala fair went waste.

Misuse of political power

It was the misuse of political power that led the Kotte Municipal Council to takeover the Nugegoda people's fair from the Cooperative lessor on February 7, 2003. But the UPFA government gave it back to the lessor on February 27, 2006. On 2006 politicians wielding power in the area boasted that they were launching a giant plan to modernize the people's fair and laid a foundation stone on March 24, 2006. They even put up a giant billboard opposite the Nugegoda railway station, announcing the project.

This was when the Kotte Municipal Council elections were round the corner. But nothing happened thereafter and only the foundation stone remained. In politics, wrong decisions and steps have to be identified and corrected without delay. But as time passes even if the mistakes are identified it is very difficult to correct them.

This is the problem that affected the Nugegoda people's fair all along. Eventually it only roused the anger and bitterness of Nugegoda ratepayers.

All that is changing now and their hopes for a better future are on the rise. Proper and creative town planning is essential for improving the quality of the life of the people. In ancient times we had a culture of creative town planning but in later years it declined due to political meddling and shortsighted decisions taken when launching development projects.

The Economic Development Ministry is in the process of providing for the area maternal clinics, health facilities for school children, bus stands and markets under the guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The unseen hand behind this reawakening of Nugegoda is Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa. As the Russian saying goes anyone can replace one good thing with another but it takes courage to replace a bad one with a good thing.

The Economic Development Ministry has spent Rs. 3,200 million on erecting permanent stalls for pavement hawkers all over the country. The ministry has already constructed 1,200 stalls under a five-stage plan. All this work is directed by Mahinda Kahandagamage, President of the Self-Employees Federation. Thousands of more stalls will be built in various towns and cities in the coming years.

The family of Amali Hasanthi residing in Delkanda belongs to a family doing business at the Nugegoda People's fair for generations. A mother of two she had been in this business from her childhood helping her mother, Kusumawathie. She and her sister Siriyalatha too have been familiar faces in this area for decades. Magi Akka, Misi Nona, Ajithakka and Lili Akka were among others who were selling vegetables and jakfruit at the People's fair.

Sixty-five-year-old Agnes who has been in business here for 30 years can recognize not only regular customers but even their family members.

The amount spent on the Nugegoda people's fair extending to nearly one acre (15,300 square feet) is Rs. 115 million.

It has 202 stalls, parking space for 30 vehicles and storage facilities for vendors. Rain water is collected in tanks for washing vegetables and fish. The tanks can hold 400 litres of water. A special programme has been worked out for waste disposal. Since the police post is nearby security is ensured. The stalls have been provided on an accepted basis and accordingly traders have been selected under the leadership of Superintendent of Police, Mirihana Deshabandu Tennekoon.

The roads in the vicinity of the fair have been carpeted and platforms for pedestrians have been provided. All infrastructure has been provided. The creation of a beautiful park with an extent of 8,000 square feet opposite the railway station is part of this project and fulfils a long-cherished dream of the people who regularly visit the people's market.

The second stage

The second stage of the project will be the construction of a bridge connecting the Nugegoda supermarket and the people's market. Over 100,000 people arrive at Nugegoda town daily.

According to former Assistant Examinations Commissioner Ariyadasa Edirisinghe, projects like these have brought immense relief not only to around 10,000 persons who make use of the people's fair but also those in the vicinity. He expressed his profound thanks on behalf of the residents to Minister Basil Rajapaksa for his innovative ideas for developing Nugegoda. The price of perch opposite Railway Avenue near the people's fair and market was Rs. 2 million. Today the price is Rs. 3 million as a result of infrastructure development relating to the people's fair.

Most vegetable vendors are good friends of customers. Jeevan, Dhamradasa, Sumathipala, Nishantha, Ajith, Latha, Manoharan and Anurasiri Caldera all have many regular customers. Many buy fruits from Piyaratna Chandradasa and Mallika. You'll meet hundreds of vendors like this at the people's fair at Nugegoda almost daily.

They will earn more in the coming months and years. According to railway station master S K S Attanayake, seven Colombo-bound trains leave Avissawella daily. Around 1,717 people board trains from Nugegoda. About 1,000 of them hold season tickets. Daily about 3,000 people get off trains at Nugegoda.

The People's Fair and market has given the town a new appearance. The nuga, walmara and ambarella trees which have been left intact by architects have added to the beauty of the place. Pedestrians have been provided with separate footpaths and seats made of cement have provided for people to sit and rest. Modern toilet facilities are there and grass has been neatly grown around the railway station.

Minister Basil Rajapaksa who paid a surprise visits to inspect the market on March 2 and September 9 was welcomed by the residents.

When we recently visited there the place was busy as a bee hive. People were at work everywhere. The construction work of this attractive people's Fair and market was undertaken by the State engineering Corporation (SEC). The project was supervised by senior Commercial Manager Tilak Dayawansa. Architect was Darshani Gamage. Project Engineer was J.C. Kannangara and building Superintendent J M Kumarasiri. The team leader was SEC Chairman Jagath Pereira. Work commenced on November 17 and was completed in three stages.

The writer is an environmental journalist who could be reached at [email protected].