Vending zones near Sangam to fix post-lockdown lull in economy

Prayagraj: As the city struggles to get back on its feet amid a lockdown, Prayagraj district administration will help out small businesses around Sangam who have been hit hard due to the restrictions imposed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prayagraj Mela Authority has identified three separate vending zones and will allot spots to local traders, so that they could resume business while following social distancing.
The vending zones would be similar to the ones created during Kumbh-2019 last year. The move would benefit traders selling items commonly used in religious rituals, vegetarian food and utensils.
“Sangam has been a lucrative business centre for vendors as a lot of devotees visit its banks. There was an increase in the the number of vendors who set up shop on its banks during the Magh Mela. The increase followed our decision to set up vending zones in the area during the Kumbh-2019,” said Mela Adhikari and city magistrate Rajneesh Mishra.
The Prayagraj Mela Authority has identified three vending zones at Quila Ghat Road, Mahaveer Road and Parade Ground.
Mishra said that as part of arrangements for Unlock 1.0, the administration plans to lease out the 33 slots by June. The lots would be allotted for a period of one year. As the land belongs to Cantonment Board, the earnings generated from the leases would be shared between the board and the Prayagrag Mela Authority in a 60:40 ratio respectively,” he added.
“Before the lockdown, Sangam welcomed around 25,000 visitors each day, of which around 5,000 came from other cities. On an average, visitors near Sangam manage to generate revenue of around Rs 1 crore every day for local traders and other businesses like hotels, restaurants, autorickshaws, taxis, pandas, boatmen and tourist guides,” said economist and former vice-chancellor of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) GC Tripathi.
The state tourism department is also pitching in to support the local economy. “We have decided to promote heritage walks around Sangam to boost the city’s religious tourism. These guided tours would include visits to attractions like Bade Hanuman temple and Viman Manadapam temple,” said deputy director of tourism (Prayagraj) Dinesh Kumar.