SRINAGAR: The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Thursday demolished a food cart that had been set up near the iconic Clock Tower in Lal Chowk, following protests by local shopkeepers. The incident has raised questions about the authorization process for such vendors and the coordination between different civic bodies.
The food cart was reportedly installed during the night near the Ghanta Ghar. Upon receiving information, SMC officials, accompanied by police personnel, arrived at the scene and dismantled the structure. The demolition was a direct result of protests by shopkeepers in the area, who had voiced objections to the food cart’s placement and threatened a shutdown if it was not removed. Some shopkeepers kept their establishments closed until the cart was taken down, escalating the confrontation.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, the owner of the food cart, Lateef Ahmad, claimed to have obtained official permission through an e-tendering process via Srinagar Smart City Limited. Ahmad stated that he was contractually obligated to pay a monthly rent of Rs 15,000 and expressed bewilderment at the demolition, especially since he had presented his documents to the authorities. He alleged a loss of approximately Rs 20 lakh and stated that officials from Srinagar Smart City Limited, who had initially granted him permission, were present during the demolition.
Information was available with The Chenab Times indicating that the Srinagar Municipal Corporation has been working on establishing designated street food cart zones to regulate vending and prevent encroachments. Guidelines have been issued for these zones, aiming to create organized spaces for vendors while ensuring food safety, sanitation, pedestrian convenience, and traffic management. Locations identified for these zones include areas like Dalgate Bund, Badamwari, and Rajbagh, among others.
These initiatives are part of a broader effort to bring street vending under a structured framework, aligning with the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. The aim is to balance the needs of vendors with the necessity of maintaining public order and accessibility in urban spaces.
The incident also brings to light the challenges of managing street vending in a city like Srinagar, which has seen previous attempts to create organized vending zones, such as the Smart Vendor Hawker Zone at Jehangir Chowk, which reportedly did not materialize as planned.
In recent years, the Clock Tower area itself has undergone significant redevelopment as part of the Srinagar Smart City project, transforming it into a tourist attraction. The area has seen renovations and improvements aimed at enhancing its appeal and functionality as a public space.
The Srinagar Municipal Corporation has been working on operational guidelines for designated street food cart zones to bring street food vending under a structured, transparent, and sustainable framework. These guidelines aim to create organized spaces for vendors while ensuring food safety, sanitation, pedestrian convenience, and traffic management. The initiative seeks to address issues such as traffic congestion, obstruction of pedestrian movement, and inadequate sanitation associated with unregulated street vending.
The Chenab Times News Desk
