Kozhikode: Kozhikode’s iconic Sweet Meat Street, popularly known as SM Street, sports a sleepy look after a sharp drop in customer numbers.

Once famous for its typical Kozhikodan halwa, SM Street, also known as ‘Meettai Theruvu’ later turned into a place where one could get `anything under the sun’.

Though modern shopping destinations like High light mall have made a dent in business prospects of SM Street, many people still show their allegiance to SM Street.

History has it that the street was once occupied by Gujarati sweet shops promoted by the Zamorins who ruled the province.

The street is infamous for its poor drainage and facility to act fast during emergency due to congested buildings and violation of safety norms by the shops. This had resulted in fires on a number of occasions.

With the local body facing brick bats from the media and the public for not doing anything to improve the safety features of the street, the Kozhikode or Calicut Corporation has swung into action to beautify the street, increase safety features, augment drainage and other infrastructure facility among others.

The outstanding features are the new draining system and footpath improvement. The work began months back and is progressing well.

The work is in its final phase and the direction to the contractor is to wind up the work before Onam festival.

Traders are keeping their fingers crossed worried whether things would work out as planned before Onam, the season when there is a shopping spree.