While speaking to City Spidey, many residents of nearby societies complained that the market is creating a lot of nuisance for the residents.
The delay in the relocation of the Bihari Bazar, a street market in Indirapuram, by Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) has become a headache for the people living in the vicinity. The residents of Shipra Srishti and Shipra Krishna Vista in Ahinsa Khand I are particularly perturbed by the setup of the market around their societies.
While speaking to City Spidey, many residents of both the societies complained that the market is creating a lot of nuisance for the residents. They demanded that the market should be located somewhere else as soon as possible.
“Our gate no 2 stays non-functional as the vendors set up their shops every day. They leave no space for the entry and exit of the vehicles,” said Deepak Sethi, a resident of Shipra Krishna Vista.
“Every morning, while dropping my daughter to her school, I witness heaps of garbage scattered on the road,” said Pallavi Kumar, a resident of Shipra Srishti.
Pallavi also added that the noise coming from the market constantly disturbs the residents of Tower 1. “It’s no less than a trauma,” she added further.
Bihari Bazaar is a daily evening market of over 300 street vendors run by the members of Munesh Welfare Society in front of Shipra Sun City along the length of Dr Sushila Nayar Marg in Indirapuram.
As per members of Munesh Welfare Society, the market got registered in 2004. It opens daily from 4 pm to 11 pm.
Apart from the noise during market hours and the garbage after its wind up, the most contentious issue residents face is the encroachment of the road by the market vendors.
The shopkeepers have set-up their temporary shops on the pavements and cycle tracks. The customers coming to market park their cars on the road to purchase stuffs from the market. The situation finally leads to the traffic jam. Always, there is a dearth of space on the road.
“We are fed up with regular traffic jams. We demand that the GDA should relocate the market to some other place,” said Sethi.
However, GDA had tried to relocate the market several times in the past. A few months ago, GDA had carried out a drive to make the road free from the vendors of Bihari Bazaar. However, the Munesh Welfare Society went to Allahabad High Court against the authority and got a stay order.
The high court, in its order to the authority in June 2018, had asked for the relocation of Bihari Bazaar vendors.
However, six months passed, but the authority has failed to provide a vending zone to the vendors of Bihari Bazaar.
While speaking to City Spidey, many vendors of the Bazaar said that they don’t want to trouble the residents but because the authority has not provided them with any other alternative, they are forced to continue there.
“Even if we want, then where will we go? This is our only source of livelihood,” said a vendor.
Vinod Yadav, secretary of Munesh Welfare Society told City Spidey that GDA had released a form to register the hawkers of Bihari Bazaar after the HC order. More than 300 vendors filled the form as well. “However, after that, their plan went on the back-burner and left us hanging in middle. We have to face ire of neighbourhood residents and the vendors as well who question us about the development in the relocation,” Yadav added.
Meanwhile, GDA officials told City Spidey that a vending zone will soon be ready, but not for the vendors of Bihari Bazaar. “We will have a vending zone in Shakti Khand IV with the capacity of 104 vendors. 75 of them are booked already,” said Manvendra Singh, Executive Engineer, Zone 6 of GDA.
