Traders seek action against street vendors, encroachments in Dharwad

The traders’ association has urged the authorities to curb unregulated street vending and remove encroachments on public spaces in Dharwad, alleging that they were affecting local businesses and causing inconvenience to pedestrians.

Speaking at a press conference on October 28, association representative Deepak Rege said street vending had increased along Subhash Road, around Lakshmi Narayan temple, and near Basel Mission School. The presence of street vendors is affecting the movement of customers, and hurting the business of local shopkeepers and hotel owners who pay rent, taxes, and licence fees, he said.

Mr. Rege said encroachments had made roads unsafe for pedestrians, schoolchildren, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities. He called on food safety officials to test food sold by street vendors for possible contamination and take appropriate action based on the findings.

He said temporary vending arrangements made for nine days during the Lakshmi Narayan temple fair had continued for nearly a month. Claiming that many vendors had come from outside Dharwad, he urged the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation to clarify the duration, locations, and conditions of the permissions granted to them.

The association was not opposed to street vendors earning a livelihood, Mr. Rege said, adding that they should be provided designated vending zones and suitable rehabilitation. However, their activities should not inconvenience established traders or other people, he said, urging elected representatives to co-operate with the authorities in finding a permanent solution.