View source for Koyambedu Wholesale Market Complex

{{Short description|Perishable goods market complex in Chennai, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2018}}
[[File:Koyambedu Market A View.jpg|right|thumb|225px|A view of the Koyambedu Market]]

'''Koyambedu Wholesale Market Complex''' (KWMC) is one of [[Asia]]'s largest perishable goods market complex located at [[Koyambedu]], [[Chennai]]. The market complex is spread over an area of {{convert|295|acre|km2}}. Inaugurated in 1996, the complex consists of about 3,100 shops,<ref name="TH_PartialBanOnLorries"/> including more than 1,000 wholesale shops and 2,000 retail shops. Of these, 850 are fruit shops.<ref>{{cite news
  | title = Australian delegates visit Koyambedu
  | newspaper = The Hindu
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 28 August 2017
  | url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/australian-delegates-visit-koyambedu/article19573986.ece
  | access-date = 30 September 2017}}</ref> It abuts the [[Poonamallee High Road]] and [[Nesapakkam]] Road. In Phase I, a wholesale market for perishables was developed in an area of around {{convert|70|acre|m2}} by constructing 3,194 shops. The market has two blocks for vegetable shops and one each for fruit and flower shops. In Phase II, a textile market<ref>[http://www.cmdachennai.gov.in/textile_market.html] Textile market in Koyambedu</ref> and in Phase III, a food [[grain trade|grain market]]<ref>[http://www.cmdachennai.gov.in/development_of_wholesale.html] Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), Development of Wholesale Food-grains Market-[[Government of India]]</ref> have been planned to be developed in the complex.

The food grain market will be built on a seven to eight acres of land belonging to the [[Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority]], adjacent to the Koyambedu fire service station and opposite the vegetable market, and will have about 500 shops.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-12-11/chennai/28221496_1_koyambedu-textile-market-foodgrains | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104043809/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-12-11/chennai/28221496_1_koyambedu-textile-market-foodgrains | url-status=dead | archive-date=4 November 2012 | work=[[The Times of India]] | title=Koyambedu to have separate market for foodgrains | date=11 December 2010}}</ref>

The market operates round the clock, with the wholesale market operating between 10 p.m. and 10 a.m. and the retail market operating between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. The market receives about 100,000 visitors and 500 to 600 vehicles every day.<ref name="TH_PartialBanOnLorries">{{cite news
  | last = Lakshmi 
  | first = K. 
  | title = Partial ban on lorries at wholesale market planned
  | newspaper = The Hindu
  | location = Chennai
  | pages = 2
  | publisher = Kasturi & Sons
  | date = 23 October 2018
  | url = https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/koyambedu-market-to-bar-heavy-vehicles-in-the-afternoons/article25292082.ece
  | access-date = 23 October 2018}}</ref>

==Developments==
The Basic Infrastructure and Amenities Promotion Committee has approved an allocation of {{INR}} 336.3 million for augmentation and maintenance of the infrastructure, including stormwater drain network, in the market complex. The Market Management Committee will carry out the work which includes creation of new stormwater drains over 9&nbsp;km long, widening of roads and concretisation of a 350-m road connecting Gates 7 and 14, which is being used by heavy vehicles to carry perishables to the market complex.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100908064648/http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/06/stories/2010090650340300.htm] Rs. 33 crore for improving Koyambedu market</ref><ref>{{cite news
  | last = Xavier Lopez 
  | first = Aloysius 
  | title = Works at Koyambedu market gain steam
  | newspaper = The Hindu
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 2 February 2012
  | url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/article2851452.ece
  | access-date = 7 Feb 2012}}</ref> The market has over 100,000 visitors daily. On an average, 1,500 lorries and other heavy vehicles come to the market every day, bringing in vegetables, fruits and flowers.<ref name="Hindu_MarketGetsPaidParkingLot"/>

In 2012, the market was declared a green complex. As part of this, about 1,000 trees were planted on the market premises. The complex will also feature a landscape with a compound wall at a cost of {{INR}} 25 million, [[rainwater harvesting]] structures and solar lighting.<ref>{{cite news
  | last = Lopez
  | first = Aloysius Xavier
  | title = City's favourite grocery goes green
  | newspaper = The Hindu
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 16 November 2012
  | url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/citys-favourite-grocery-goes-green/article4099110.ece
  | access-date = 16 Nov 2012}}</ref>

==Foodgrains market==
An exclusive foodgrains market, the first such facility in the state, is under construction at the market complex at a cost of {{INR}} 690.7 million. It is being constructed in an area of 14.41 acres next to the existing wholesale vegetable market, with provision of godowns, parking space for trucks, public toilets, cement concrete roads, solar street lights, fire-fighting system, and water supply. It is expected to be opened by mid-2014.<ref>{{cite news
  | last = Mariappan 
  | first = Julie 
  | title = Koyambedu to house TN's first foodgrains market 
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 23 January 2013 
  | url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-01-23/chennai/36504955_1_vegetable-market-foodgrains-market-koyambedu
  | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130216063949/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-01-23/chennai/36504955_1_vegetable-market-foodgrains-market-koyambedu
  | url-status = dead
  | archive-date = 16 February 2013
  | newspaper = [[The Times of India]]
  | access-date = 24 Jan 2013}}</ref> It will have about 500 shops for wholesale business of food grains, except sugar, jaggery, dry chillies, tamarind, and edible oil items.<ref>{{cite news
  | last = dhineshkumar 
  | first = S. 
  | title = Food grains complex construction takes off 
  | newspaper = The Deccan Chronicle 
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 18 March 2013 
  | url = http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130318/news-current-affairs/article/food-grains-complex-construction-takes
  | access-date = 19 Mar 2013}}</ref>

==Bio-methanation plant==
A bio-methanation plant at the market complex set by [[Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority]] (CMDA) was inaugurated in 2006 at a cost of {{INR}} 55 million to generate power from vegetable and fruit waste collected from the wholesale market. The Biomethanation plant has a capacity to produce 2500 unit per day with 30 tons of Waste. The plant was operated by the Koyambedu Market Management Committee till 2008 and was put to disuse owing to machine repair. The plant was operational again from April 2011 but only for four months<ref>{{cite news
  | last = Lakshmi 
  | first = K. 
  | title = Ambitious project in disarray 
  | newspaper = The Hindu
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 6 January 2013 
  | url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/ambitious-project-in-disarray/article4277224.ece
  | access-date = 7 Jan 2013}}</ref> and is awaiting [[Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation]]'s ([[TANGEDCO]]) approval to supply electricity to the grid. The plant has the capacity to convert 30 tonnes of waste per day into 2,500 units daily. Of the nearly 150 tonnes of vegetable and fruit waste generated daily at the market, about 30 tonnes are segregated. A total of 1.75 acre has been allotted for composting 50 tonnes of waste. There are also plants to recycle [[banana]] stems.<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/article2126824.ece Bio-methanation unit set to generate power]</ref>

==Parking==
The market complex has a 7.46-acre open-space parking lot adjacent to the biomethanation plant, opened by the CMDA on 5 April 2013. It has a provision to park 400 heavy vehicles at any given point of time.<ref name="Hindu_MarketGetsPaidParkingLot">{{cite news
  | last = Oppili 
  | first = P. 
  |author2=Aloysius Xavier Lopez 
   | title = Koyambedu market gets 7.46-acre paid parking lot 
  | newspaper = The Hindu
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 7 April 2013 
  | url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/koyambedu-market-gets-746acre-paid-parking-lot/article4588954.ece
  | access-date = 13 Apr 2013}}</ref>

==Transportation==
The market is located adjacent to the [[Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus]] and the [[CMBT metro station|CMBT]] and [[Koyambedu metro station|Koyambedu]] metro stations of the [[Chennai Metro]] and is thus well connected by both bus and rail transportation.

===Railway===
[[File:Chennai Metro Rail at Koyambedu.JPG|thumb|Chennai Metro Rail at Koyambedu]]
'''Koyambedu Metro station''' is a [[Rapid transit|Metro]] railway station on the Line 2 of the [[Chennai Metro]], which is one terminal of the current open metro line from Alandur. The station is among the elevated stations coming up along corridor II of the Chennai Metro, [[Chennai Central metro station|Chennai Central]]–[[St. Thomas Mount metro station|St. Thomas Mount]] stretch. The station will serve the neighbourhoods of [[Koyambedu]], Koyambedu vegetable market, and [[Chennai Contract Carriage Bus Terminus|Koyambedu Private Bus Terminus]]. The station was constructed by [[Consolidated Construction Consortium Limited]] ([[CCCL]]). The station attained structural completion in December 2012. The consolidated cost of the station along with the stations of [[Arumbakkam metro station|Arumbakkam]], [[CMBT metro station|CMBT]], [[Vadapalani metro station|Vadapalani]] and [[Ashok Nagar metro station|Ashok Nagar]] was {{INR}}  1,395.4 million.<ref name="Hindu_ArukbnakkamStnAlmostComplete">{{cite news 
  | title = Arumbakkam metro station almost complete 
  | newspaper = The Hindu
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 10 September 2013
  | url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/arumbakkam-metro-station-almost-complete/article5110276.ece
  | access-date = 2 Feb 2015}}</ref>

The station is an elevated station near Koyambedu vegetable market. The station has a capacity to handle about 23,000 passengers an hour. Elevation of the platforms will be about 15&nbsp;m from the ground level and the total length of the platforms will be 140&nbsp;m.<ref name="TOI_AllRoadsLeadToMetro"/>
Along with [[Chennai Central metro station|Chennai Central]] and [[Alandur metro station|Alandur]] stations, the station will have a 230-kV receiving sub-station for power supply from the state's electricity grid.<ref name="TOI_MetroRailSetsUpUnitsToPowerTrains">{{cite news
 | title = Metro rail sets up units to power trains, stations to meet year-end deadline to start services 
 | newspaper = The Times of India 
 | location = Chennai
 | date = 15 April 2014 
 | url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Chennai/Metro-rail-sets-up-units-to-power-trains-stations-to-meet-year-end-deadline-to-start-services/articleshow/33757188.cms
 | access-date = 18 Apr 2014}}</ref> The sub-station will supply 25-kV of electricity to the trains and 33-kV to the stations.<ref>{{cite news
 | title = தயார் நிலையில் மெட்ரோ ரயிலுக்கான துணை மின் நிலையம் 
 | newspaper = Dinamani
 | location = Chennai
 | language = ta
 | date = 25 December 2014 
 | url = http://www.dinamani.com/edition_chennai/chennai/2014/12/25/%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%A8%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%86%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8B-%E0%AE%B0%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%81/article2587860.ece
 | access-date = 25 Dec 2014}}</ref>

Along with Ashok Nagar and Vadapalani Metro stations, Koyambedu Metro station will be developed by leasing out space either for shops or office spaces. As part of fire safety measures, underground water tanks of 50,000 to 100,000 litre capacity will be set up at the station.<ref>{{cite news 
  | last = Express News Service 
  | title = Metro Rail Stations to Sport Snazzy Look 
  | newspaper = The New Indian Express 
  | location = Chennai
  | publisher = Express Publications 
  | date = 30 October 2014 
  | url = http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Metro-Rail-Stations-to-Sport-Snazzy-Look/2014/10/30/article2499052.ece
  | access-date = 1 Nov 2014}}</ref>

The station lies within 1&nbsp;km from the [[Koyambedu Junction]]. The highways department has proposed a 1-km flyover that passes through [[Inner Ring Road, Chennai|Jawaharlal Nehru Road]]–Kaliamman Koil Street Junction. A skywalk has also been planned near the station across the [[Poonamallee High Road]].<ref name="TOI_AllRoadsLeadToMetro">{{cite news 
  | last = Hemalatha 
  | first = Karthikeyan 
  |author2=V Ayyappan 
   | title = All roads to lead to metro stations 
  | newspaper = The Times of India 
  | location = Chennai
  | publisher = The Times Group 
  | date = 17 January 2013 
  | url = http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOICH/2013/01/17&PageLabel=2&EntityId=Ar00200&ViewMode=HTML
  | access-date = 18 Jan 2013}}</ref> The skywalk will link Rohini theatre with the Koyambedu Metro station.<ref>{{cite news 
  | last = Sekar 
  | first = Sunitha 
  | title = Skywalks for three Chennai Metro stations
  | newspaper = The Hindu
  | location = Chennai
  | date = 13 August 2014 
  | url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/skywalks-for-three-chennai-metro-stations/article6309756.ece
  | access-date = 4 October 2014}}</ref>

==Covid 19 Epicenter==
During the [[2020 pandemic]], Koyambedu Market became the epicenter of largest cluster of the novel coronavirus disease ([[COVID-19]]) in Tamil Nadu.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/coronavirus-what-turned-koyambedu-chennais-popular-wholesale-complex-market-into-a-covid-19-hotspot/article31546292.ece| title = Coronavirus {{!}} What turned Koyambedu, Chennai’s popular wholesale complex market, into a COVID-19 hotspot? - The Hindu}} </ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|India}}
* [[Kothawal Chavadi]]
* [[Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Koyambedu Wholesale Market Complex}}
* [https://www.koyambedumarket.in/ Koyambedu Market]
* {{cite book | title=Madras Rediscovered| last=Muthiah| first=S.|author-link=S. Muthiah |year=2004| publisher=East West Books (Madras) Pvt Ltd| isbn=81-88661-24-4|page=312}}

{{Chennai Topics}}

[[Category:Food markets]]
[[Category:Economy of Chennai]]
[[Category:Wholesale markets in India]]
[[Category:1996 establishments in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Agricultural cooperatives in India]]