Bhubaneswar: After being closed since September 28, the Unit-I haat in Odisha capital reopened, today.

The Unit-I Traders' Association had decided for closure of the market to press their various demands.

After a discussion with the concerned authorities of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) yesterday, the association decided to reopen the haat as the civic body officers assured the association members to fulfill their demands.

The traders have incurred a loss of around Rs 30 to 35 crore due to the closure, a member of the association said.

"The BMC Commissioner sought a time of 15 days to meet our demands. We have given them a time period of one month. After examining the parking system, the concerned officials of the BMC have given permission for parking of vehicles on roadside near the haat as customers coming to the market are not using the multi-level parking lot located at the Unit-II Market Building," said Gayadhar Swain, President, Unit-I Traders' Association.

The traders had earlier urged the civic authorities to arrange parking, drainage, drinking water, toilet and other facilities at the haat, one of the biggest wholesale and retail markets in Odisha. The traders also pleaded for the removal of encroachments from the market.

According to the traders, thousands of customers and retailers throng Unit-I haat every day to buy vegetables, grocery items and other commodities. However, the BMC is yet to arrange proper parking and drainage facilities for the market.

The inconvenience of the customers has gone up manifold after the authorities banned on-street parking near the market. The police are imposing hefty penalties on people who park their vehicles on the roads in the area, they said.