Agricultural Produce Market Complex

As an integral part of decongestion of Mumbai and consistent with the recommendations of the Regional Plan for the Bombay Metropolitan Region setup under the MR & TP Act 1966, CIDCO planned Agricultural Produce Market Complex (APMC) at Turbhe to shift the wholesale markets of agricultural and agricultural-processed commodities.

The real cause of congestion in South Mumbai was the wholesale trade in various commodities. It started with the 238-shop-cum-godown for onion and potato wholesale market, construction for which began in February 1980 and was completed in the same year.

The complex has been designed and planned over 182 hectare for projected turnover of Rs. 60 billion and creation of over one lakh jobs. It won Prime Minister’s award for Implemented Urban Design Projects. CIDCO’s endeavour was acclaimed after continuous use of 25 years and earned the Best Working Design Award at the hands of the President of India.

The physical planning and designing of the market was made conducive for open market. This reduced the malpractices and an era of free trading began. The key features of the path-breaking project set standards for other market. It was planned to have shop-cum-godown unit for each trader with loading/unloading space. The passage for buyers with facility to approach all shops in a row of buildings was totally covered.

Separate parking bays and movement spaces for large truck/trailers, common facility building for each trade and commodity; separate ‘Q’ up areas of trucks for each market as well as separate truck terminus have been provided. Mumbai’s Iron and Steel market was shifted from Kanrn Bundar and Viddyavihar to Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai on 275 hectare in 1979.