Flower market at Ghazipur set to get overhaul
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government will hire an agency for the redevelopment of the flower wholesale market in Ghazipur, which includes setting up amenities such as water supply, drainage, roads, constructing a centrally air-conditioned building and a cold storage facility in another two years – a move that is likely to improve the supply of many flower varieties in the city.
The government has issued a tender for the project estimated to cost around ₹197.45 crore, for which the bids are open till March 5, said a senior government official and according to documents that HT has seen.
“We are developing a modern flower market in Ghazipur. The facilities will be helpful for the traders, customers and hundreds of people who work in the market. The cold storage facility, in particular, will be immensely helpful in terms of scaling up supply, which will eventually increase the scale of flower trade in Delhi,” said Vijay Sisodia, chairperson of the agricultural produce market committee for flowers in Ghazipur.
Flower markets in Mehrauli, Fatehpuri and Baba Kharak Singh Marg (Connaught Place) were merged with a flower market in Ghazipur in 2011, giving shape to the present-day wholesale market that is said to be the biggest in Delhi. There are 420odd licensed flower traders who operate from the market, and together they record an average annual turnout of around Rs 250 crore, said a senior government official who did not wish to be identified, adding that the trade is seasonal and witnesses a sharp rise during festivities and marriage seasons.
Flowers from across states arrive in the market. It also records imports from countries that include New Zealand, the Netherlands, South Africa and Thailand. The most common export destinations are US, UK, Germany and UAE, said traders.
Given the perishable nature of the product, cold storage is mandatory for the business. Some, such as daisies and tulips, need it more than others, said traders. Currently, most traders have either set up small storages within their shops or they hire services of cold storage facilities scattered across the city and manage with ice slabs and cold water in their shops.
“Because of inadequate cold storage facilities, traders often have to limit their stocks. This is one reason why wholesale traders in the city often run out of roses, tulips, daisies and gerberas when there is a spike in demand, especially if it is summer. A large centralised cold storage for the wholesale market would help address such shortages,” said Kisan Saini, a wholesale flower trader at Ghazipur.
Neeraj Singh of Virender florist, a retailer in New Friends Colony, said, The shortage has a cascading effect, which starts at the wholesale level and affects stocks of retail florists. The supply often fails to meet the demand. A central storage in Ghazipur can bridge the gap.”