Street vendors and stray cows create chaotic situation

Our Special Correspondent

Silchar, April 1: There is virtually a chaotic situation on the main roads of Silchar with vendors occupying not only the footpaths but also spilling over, creating obstructions in the movement of pedestrians and the vehicles. As the yearly ‘Chaitra sale’ of all sorts of consumer goods has now entered in its third week, it is difficult to comprehend what shape the traffic jam will take place. Common people hard hit by the rising cost of living compounded by the imposition of GST wait for this open sale on streets during the month of March-April.

The main attraction behind this Chaitra sale is the reduction in prices of all commodities that ranges from 50% to 80%. Even people with minimum income can afford to buy any item of their choice and the options are many as sliding of prices vary from seller to seller. It is a market that spawns for a month and consumers can purchase from wide ranges of articles starting from shoes and chappals to cloths, utensils, electronic goods, umbrellas as well as all useful household goods. With the onset of dusk, consumers make a beeline before the sellers and the market continues till late night.

The rrow roads with overflowing movement of vehicles of all sorts and the surging crowds make the traffic jam more acute. Despite the ban imposed by the district administration and the municipal board on the movement of stray cows on the roads, it is quite a common sight to see them on the pathways. These cows owned by the milkmen as well as individuals are deliberately left on the roads which feed on the dumped wastes and garbage that pose a sort of hazards for all those who use the roads. The two cows as pictured in the photograph are left by the owners to graze on the concrete road as if it were and cause serious traffic congestion.

Making a mockery of the order of the district administration, some person has displayed placards which read ‘left by our owners in the morning who use us only for their milk’ while another reads ‘obey traffic rules’. The problem on roads is made more acute by the parking of two and four wheelers indiscrimitely on both sides of the roads. The auto rickshaws authorized to ply within panchayat areas enter the town illegally, adding to the total chaos. Citizens think unless drastic actions are taken against those violating the standing rules for keeping footpaths free and the sale of goods on roads, the situation will continue to be problematic.

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