Chennai: Hawkers seek exclusive zones, residents want order

CHENNAI: Areas like T Nagar and Broadway saw several eviction drives in recent weeks. Most of them, say officials, were carried out in response to residents’ complaints of congestion and obstruction of public spaces. However, for vendors, some of whom are registered with valid ID cards, the evictions feel arbitrary.

“We want to cooperate. But where do we go?” asks a registered vendor from T Nagar. While there is no citywide crackdown under way, Chennai continues to grapple with the long standing tension between accommodating street vendors and managing urban spaces. Residents cite congestion while vendors say they need high footfall areas to sustain their livelihoods.

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is caught between enforcing civic order and following legislation. It has begun the process of finalising vending and non-vending zones across the city. But implementation has been patchy.

According to assistant revenue officer Natarajan, evictions are carried out at the zonal level and not as part of any citywide initiative. “They are conducted based on circumstances in each locality by the zonal officers,” he told DT Next.

The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, mandates that vendors cannot be evicted or relocated without prior notice and the provision of an alternative site. Vendors allege that these safeguards are not being followed.

“So far, 150 vending and 188 non-vending zones have been identified,” Natarajan said. But vendors say the list is unclear. “Pantheon Road has a number of hospitals, offering good footfall. But it’s not being considered a vending zone,” said Balamurugan, a member of the Town Vending Committee (TVC).

“During committee meetings, we do not have much space to question how these zones are chosen,” Balamurugan said, adding that he also flagged a worrying trend.“In 2018, we had 927 vending streets for around 27,000 vendors. Now, with 35,588 vendors issued ID cards, the number of vending streets is being brought down to 776,” he said.

The timing of eviction drives has also drawn criticism, especially with zonal TVC elections scheduled for June 26, following a Madras High Court order in March to form local vending committees and speed up zone demarcation. Meanwhile, delays in issuing ID cards persist. “Many vendors have been waiting over a year,” Balamurugan said.

Though the law requires a vendor survey every five years and a grievance redressal committee, vendors claim these have yet to be effectively implemented in Chennai. They allege that evictions are often carried out without notice or hearings, in violation of the Act.

“The government is in a difficult position,” said Sukumar Babu, former floor leader of the Corporation. “Either roads should’ve been widened or space should have been reserved. Now there’s no land to accommodate vendors. The only option is decongestion,” he notes. The lack of clarity on where vendors can operate from fuels conflict. While the law aims to protect livelihoods and maintain public order, inconsistent implementation leaves both vendors and residents navigating uncertainty.