Guwahati: Street vendors caught between evictions and elusive promises of vending zones

Staff reporter

Guwahati: Despite repeated assurances from the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), hundreds of street vendors across the city continue to face relentless eviction drives, even as designated vending zones remain a distant promise.

In bustling commercial areas like Fancy Bazaar, Ganeshguri, and Panbazar, vendors unpack their carts each morning with trepidation, uncertain whether they’ll be allowed to do business or be forced to vacate once again. For many, street vending is not just a livelihood but a lifeline.

“It is very difficult for us,” said Sunil Gupta, a clothes vendor who has been working in Fancy Bazaar for over four years. “GMC officials come two to three times every fortnight and chase us away without any warning. This is our only source of income. When are we getting a proper vending zone?”

Vendors allege that eviction drives are often abrupt and aggressive. Some claim their goods are confiscated and not always returned. “I travel almost 40 kilometers daily to set up my stall,” said another vendor. “But we lose more than we earn. When they take away our items, only a few are returned — and that too after a long wait.”

A microcosm of this struggle is visible in ‘Fancy Gali’ — a narrow bylane inside Fancy Bazaar that houses over a hundred vendors. Despite its popularity among customers, the area remains outside the purview of formal vending regulations.

“We open our stalls here because we have no other option,” said one vendor. “It’s already hard to work under the scorching sun, and then we’re made to leave again and again.”

The GMC, however, maintains that its actions are based on legal and civic concerns. A senior official stated, “These street vendors are illegal, and their presence leads to traffic congestion and pedestrian inconvenience. We take action based on public complaints.”

In 2023, the civic body had unveiled an ambitious plan to establish 120 vending zones across Guwahati, with at least 60 under active review. The Zonal Vending Committee had also promised that 10 zones would be functional by January 2025.

Yet on the ground, little has changed.

“We have approved 83 vending zones so far, but more are still under process,” the GMC official admitted. “We are also in the process of finalizing the design of standard vending carts.”

But with policy still on paper and evictions continuing on the ground, Guwahati’s street vendors remain trapped in uncertainty — their futures tied to promises that remain unfulfilled.

 Also Read: Guwahati: GMC Evicting Street Vendors in Run-up to Advantage Assam 2.0

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