Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) here has initiated plans to redevelop the Badagada Haat into a modern, well-organised commercial complex while preserving the essence of the traditional haat that supports hundreds of small vendors and daily shoppers.The civic body has floated a tender to take up the redevelopment, which includes design, construction, and operation and maintenance of the facility for three years. Officials said the project aims to transform the unplanned, overcrowded market into a cleaner, safer and more accessible urban marketplace without displacing livelihoods.According to BMC officials, the proposed facility will integrate modern retail infrastructure with a dedicated traditional haat zone. Plans include a multi-storey market complex with organised shops, structured vending platforms for vegetable, fish and meat sellers, improved parking facilities, internal roads, pedestrian pathways and public amenities.“The idea is not to replace the haat but to upgrade it. Badagada Haat has long been an important livelihood centre and neighbourhood market. The redevelopment will ensure better hygiene, fire safety, drainage and traffic management while retaining space for traditional vendors,” said city mayor Sulochana Das.The project also proposes universal accessibility features, proper waste disposal systems and CCTV-based surveillance to enhance safety and crowd management. Officials said the redevelopment will help decongest surrounding roads, which often witness traffic congestion due to haphazard parking and encroachments.Local vendors, who have been operating from the site for years, welcomed the move. “During the rainy season, waterlogging and poor drainage make business very difficult. If the new design gives us covered platforms, clean surroundings and steady footfall, it will help us a lot,” Suryakant Jena, a vegetable seller at the haat, said.Residents in the surrounding Laxmisagar-Badagada area also see the project as a long-pending civic intervention. “This market caters to several neighbourhoods, but lacks basic facilities. A planned complex will improve safety and convenience, especially for women and elderly shoppers,” Niraj Hota, a Badagada resident, said.BMC officials said adequate space will be earmarked for existing vendors and that rehabilitation will be carried out within the new complex. “Stakeholder interests will be protected. The focus is on orderly development that balances economic activity with public convenience,” officials said.
