‘Overcrowded’: Why residents don’t want vending zone here

NOIDA: Residents of Sector 51 have opposed the Noida Authority’s plan to set up a vending zone along the C block road. They say the stretch is already overcrowded with two banquet halls, a private hospital, a big utility store and an under-construction community centre, which trigger daily traffic snarls in the area.
According to the sector’s RWA, the decision to establish the vending zone was taken by the Authority without any consultation with the residents or the RWA, and it will only compound the woes of the residents who face 15-20 minutes of traffic snarls in the area daily. The RWA has also written to Noida’s CEO Ritu Maheshwari on the matter, urging her to scrap the decision.
“We have registered our protest against the plan. The place earmarked for the vending zone is on both sides of the road leading to C block starting from gate number 2 of Kendriya Vihar,” Sanjeev Kumar, RWA general secretary, told TOI.
“On this road, there are already two banquet halls. Apart from that, there is a private hospital and a big convenience store on this road. None of these buildings has a designated parking space of their own and vehicles of all visitors are parked on this road itself. So, we are against the setting up of the vending zone here,” he added.
Kumar said that the residents of the sector already face about 15 to 20 minutes of jam daily to reach their homes via the congested road. “If the vending zone is established, then the traffic problem will become much worse. We have requested the Noida CEO to reconsider the decision and shift this vending zone to some other place,” he said.
Later in the day, talks were held between the RWA representatives and AK Jain, Noida Authority’s senior manager of work circle 3. “A team of Authority officials, along with members of the vending zone committee, is expected to meet us. We will discuss with them our concerns. If not addressed, we will meet the Noida CEO on the matter,” the general secretary said.
When contacted, junior engineer SK Singh of work circle 3, said, “We will be meeting the RWA, along with members of the vending zone committee, and take a final decision on the matter. We have also asked the RWA to suggest an alternative area.”