Twin worries at Gurugram's Sadar Bazar: Squatters and crowd safety

GURUGRAM: With crowds swelling at Sadar Bazar and unauthorised street vendors making the market even more congested, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) started a three-day anti-encroachment drive on Monday. After the encroachments are removed, MCG will again implement its vehicle-free plan to decongest the market.
“We have deputed a group of 40 enforcement team members to carry out the drive. We are confiscating illegal vendors’ carts and the products they are selling. We seized around five carts on Monday. With the unlocking of markets and shops, encroachers have also returned. While shop owners have encroached on the main road at some sites, there are other sites where the street vendors have set up carts. We have received several complaints on this matter in the last few days,” MCG joint commissioner-2 Jitender Garg said.
MCG officials said the number of illegal vendors has increased now since people have started stepping out of their homes and shopping for Rakshabandhan and other festivals will follow soon.
“The first step is to remove encroachments from the market. Then, we’ll again enforce the vehicle-free plan for the main road of the market extending from the post office to Jama Masjid. This time, the vehicle-free plan will be more stringent since the threat of a third wave is looming over us and we want to decongest our markets,” Garg added.
Before the second wave, MCG had conducted two trials in March and the first week of April to make Sadar Bazar vehicle-free. In the trial, MCG had allowed only two-wheelers in the market and designated parking space for cars. The entire stretch was beautified by plants and benches were also installed. The civic body had planned to deploy volunteers in the second phase, however, the pandemic hit and all markets were shut due to the lockdown.
Meanwhile, traders said with the return of shoppers to the market, it is important that the authorities ensure their safety. “The crowd is gradually increasing and around 70% of the market is encroached upon by the vendors setting up carts in front of shops. The entire market supports MCG to remove the encroachments, since it makes the market congested and unsafe for shoppers during the pandemic,” said Roshan Lal Mangla, chairman of the Sadar Bazar traders’ association.
While shoppers coming back is great for their business, shop owners raised concerns over people not wearing masks in the market. "People are not wearing masks. They think the pandemic is over. We will appeal to authorities to start a massive challaning drive in Sadar Bazar against those not wearing masks. We tell them to wear masks, but we are not the authority," Mangla added.