Municipal corporation of Gurgaon to set up dedicated hawker zones

In a move that could possibly decongest roads and solve a long-pending infrastructure issue, Municipal Corporation Gurgaon has earmarked 31 hawking zones in different areas.

In a move that could possibly decongest roads and solve a long-pending infrastructure issue, Municipal Corporation Gurgaon has earmarked 31 hawking zones in different areas.

The hawker zones will be equipped with public restrooms, drinking water facilities, seating arrangements, street lighting and solid waste management plants. The health department will also inspect all food items. (Abhinav Saha/HT Photo)

The move comes after the MCG formed a town vending committee to work out details for earmarking vending or hawking zones in the city and implementing the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2015.

According to the Act, the committee has to conduct survey of all existing street vendors and accommodate them in vending zones within the corporation limits. The committee then issues a certificate of vending in three categories
-- stationary vendor, mobile vendor and others category. The vendors will get identity proofs as well.

The hawker zones will be equipped with public restrooms, drinking water facilities, seating arrangements, street lighting and solid waste management plants. The health department will also inspect all food items.

The hawking zones, non-hawking zones and restricted area (which means that hawking will be allowed only during for a restricted time) have been decided according to the necessity of each area, to ensure snarls are curtailed. Also, only 25 hawkers will be allowed on one stretch so that it doesn’t look cluttered and traffic flow is not disrupted.

As many as 14,174 street hawkers have been identified in a recent survey conducted in the city, the MCG officials said.

New and Old Railway Road, Bus Stand Road, Gurudwara Road, Railway Station, Mehrauli Road, Sukrali, Jharsa Road, Sector 10, Pataudi Road, Kanhai village, Nathupur, Sector 56, and are the areas where hawker menace is at its peak, officials said.

“Following several complaints from residents, the MCG has shortlisted these areas for dedicated hawker zones. Once implemented, the project will reduce the city’s congestion significantly.” Vivek Kalia, joint commissioner, said.

MCG officials are in the process of shortlisting the remaining vending zones.