Chandigarh, Sept. 25 -- Apni mandis in Chandigarh were introduced in the 1980s to give residents direct access to fresh fruits and vegetables at affordable prices. But now, they have become a daily mess with poor management. Lack of basic facilities such as proper parking, mobile toilets, and water supply has left both shoppers and farmers grappling with daily inconvenience. Spread across 14 locations in the city on fixed days, these markets host over 300 farmers and vendors, per day, from Punjab and Chandigarh, offering produce directly from the fields. First introduced by the Punjab Mandi Board in the 1980s, apni mandis were meant to be a farmer-friendly, consumer-centric initiative. But instead of a smooth experience, residents say the mandis have become messy, overcrowded and unsafe. "There is no parking space near the mandis as a result of which, vehicles choke the main roads. The mandi grounds are haphazardly managed due to which the space, which can be utilised for parking, is encroached upon by illegal vendors who are selling clothes and other household items. Inside the mandi, it's a struggle to walk-slippery ground, vendors spilling onto the lanes, and no crowd management at all. Enforcement wing and traffic police should pull up their socks", said Paramjeet Kaur, a resident of Sector 41. "The mandi is supposed to make buying vegetables easier. Instead, it feels like a stampede during peak hours. The smell, the filth, and the constant traffic jams have made it unbearable," said Amar Sharma, a regular buyer at the Sector 40 mandi. Hitesh Puri, president of the Chandigarh Residents Association Welfare Federation (CRAWFED), said, "The mandis were started to sell vegetables and fruits but with passing years, the meaning is lost. Illegal vendors have taken up the spaces, creating chaos." Komal Sharma, in-charge of apni mandi, Punjab Mandi Board, said, "We have repeatedly requested Chandigarh MC to level the grounds, especially before monsoon. When it rains, the entire place turns into a muddy pool and vegetables often get ruined. MC is also supposed to provide water tankers and mobile toilets, but nothing comes through. Vendors and customers are left to manage in highly unhygienic conditions."However, the MC officials said that the mandi sites, which actually belong to UT administration, are reserved for other purposes as per the city's master plan, and hence, can not be levelled or made concrete. They claim that MC provides one water tanker and one mobile toilet, each, at mandi sites to facilitate the farmers....