Municipal Corporation of Gurugram prepares action plan to decongest Sadar Bazar

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has prepared a comprehensive action plan for decongesting Sadar Bazar–one of the main markets in the city.

Sadar Bazar is the oldest market in the city, with some of the shops dating back to the 1930s. It is a heavily congested area and has an average daily footfall of around 15,000. There are more than 1,400 shops operating in the narrow lanes of the market, with civic officials estimating about 400 street vendors operating outside these shops.

According to the decongestion plan shared by the municipal corporation, shopkeepers allowing street vendors to operate outside their shops will be fined 5,000 per violation. If a shopkeeper is found indulging in the practice a third time, the civic body will seal the shop.

“Earlier, such a penalty carried a fine of 500 and the carts of street vendors were released two to three days after they were seized by the civic officials during anti-encroachments drives. Now, we have increased the fine amount for this violation by ten times, cautioned shopkeepers that repeating the violation for a third time will lead to sealing their shops. We will release the seized street carts and other belongings of encroachers after a minimum of 15 days,” said Sanjiv Singla, joint commissioner of MCG, who is overseeing the decongestion project.

Singla said these two measures, coupled with the video recording of the market premises during anti-encroachment drives to spot repeat offenders, may deter shopkeepers from allowing street vendors to occupy the premises outside their shops.

Regarding the parking arrangement–an issue that plagues both shopkeepers and customers, Singla said until the MCG constructs the two multi-level parking facilities on Old Railway Road and Kaman Sarai, they are in the process of converting eight large size vacant government plots into temporary parking space.

According to civic officials, the ground near Old Jail Complex, Grover Ground, the ground near Session House, a ground in Jacobpura near the Arya Samaj Mandir, vacant plots near the Sadar Bazar Jama Masjid, and a plot on Hanuman Mandir Road will be used for parking vehicles.

While stating that the temporary parking facilities will be at a distance of around 50-200 metres from the market, civic officials admitted that the two multi-parking facilities, which are being constructed for the benefit of those visiting Sadar Market and can collectively accommodate at least 2,500 vehicles, will take a minimum of three years for completion.

“The MCG has made multiple proposals for Sadar Bazar in the past, most of which have remained on paper. Until these measures are implemented on the ground, we will not keep high hopes,” said Bablu Gupta, president of Sadar Bazar Traders Association.

Besides removing street vendors from the narrow lanes of the market, Singla said the MCG also has plans to give them space to run their business operations at the new street vending zones. The MCG has identified sites, such as the ground near the Old Jail Complex, for setting up new street vending zones for accommodating the 400-odd street vendors.

The municipal corporation has 148 street vending zones across the city, from where vendors primarily sell food and beverage items at affordable rates.

“The MCG is also in the process of issuing the tender for recarpeting the main 600m street between the post office and Jama Masjid. Work on this stretch is expected to start next month. In addition, we have also constructed eight new community toilets for the public. We also have plans to upgrade the aesthetics of the market by planting 200 new plants,” said Singla.