The night market around BadaTalab (Ranchi Lake) that was inaugurated by Urban Development Minister, CP Singh on June 08 (Saturday) has turned the otherwise dark Ranchi lake area into a spot buzzing with hactivities. The night market will be observed every week on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 pm till 12 am.
The night market is a project which has been re-visited by the officials. Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth, former Chairman, Jharkhand State Khadi and Village Industries Board said, “We have decided to restart Ratri Bazaar around the Ranchi Lake and the stretch will resemble the Chowpati area in Mumbai”.
The night market was appreciated with much zest and enthusiasm by the city dwellers.The former dull late night evenings around the lake is all fired up after the coming up of the night market or Ratri Bazaar. Residents of Ranchi have got a fresh escape for spending weekends with the coming up of this market. Thus, the market is like an added weekend attraction for people to look up to.
The market was lined up with stalls housing items pertaining to regional handicraft, clothes and other artifacts. In addition to this visitors can feast themselves with the plethora of food stalls in here. A musical event by Symphony Music Group was organised here on the first day. When asked from Pragati, a 17 year old visitor about her liking of the market, she said, “This market is a new retreat for me to having fun with my friends and family and also for buying attractive handicrafts from”.
Efforts by the city police have been made in order to maintain safety in and around the city during late night hours. This will in turn also help in checking the crime rate around this area.
Like every coin has two sides, there are indeed matters of concern looming around the coming up of this market. Stalls or market set ups when done in the open lead to major environmental problems related to cleanliness. People at large are oblivious to cleanliness when outside and tend to through waste anywhere they want. This will prove to be a danger to the entire eco-system of the lake, affecting its aquatic life the most.
Prior to the start of the night market, efforts for the beautification of the lake were in progress. This effort rather proved to be a bane for the lake. The mud dug out in the due process was dumped on the banks of the lake. This may lead to siltation in the lake with the forthcoming monsoon season.