Policy mechanisms and development concerning street vending practices in Ahmedabad

Abstract

From the gleaming lights of blooming skyscrapers and upscale restaurants to the emerging roadside eateries, the urban cities of India today enjoy the unique flux of both the worlds.Vendors form an integral part if the Indian ecosystem. In essence, a vendor is a person whosells goods and services to the general populace through temporary structures. Such people could be stationary and encroach public/private properties, or be mobile thereby moving fromplace to place carrying their load stuff on carts, heads, etc. The Government of India has incorporated the term “urban vendor,” as inclusive of both goods and service provider, stationary as well as mobile, and includes all others local names used to describe the vendors such as hawker, pheriwalla, footpath dukandars, and more. According to Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, it is estimated that approximately 10 million people across India make a living selling food on streets. As per CEPT University study, Ahmedabad is alone home to 100,000 street vendors. Since the vendors form a significant part of the Indian economy, we have tried to study mechanisms encompassing the functional operations of vendors. The prime objective of our study has been to evaluate the urban policy mechanisms and structures that influence the functioning of the troika: government, citizens and the vendors. The challenges and burning issues that the vendors face in their day to day lives, has also been covered under the ambit of the study. Exploration and evaluation of the camaraderie among prime stakeholders namely, Ahmedabad Municipal Council (AMC), Gujarat Government, National Association Street Vendors of India (NASVI), corporations, civil administration, amongst others has also be looked into. The purpose is also to analyze the citizen friendliness and dependence of the citizens on the current structures. Themes pertaining to infrastructure availability, government opinions, urban migration and sensitivity of the urban environment have been explored in the study.