Chandigarh: In a significant push to streamline street vending in Chandigarh, the UT administration’s urban planning dept has cleared nine model vending zones, offering 834 designated sites equipped with essential civic facilities. With plans and drawings now handed over to the Chandigarh municipal corporation, the sites will feature water supply, toilets, electrification, garbage collection points, sanitation measures and marked vending bays.Most of the vending zones are located in the southern sectors, while two sites have been earmarked in Manimajra. Officials said the zones were approved after verification of land availability and assessment of commercial viability.In a key feature, the approved drawings incorporate “symmetry” for food-related vending sites—meaning each lane or stretch will be reserved for a single category of food business. This segregation aims to prevent mixing of unrelated trades such as garments, decorative items or mechanical services. “Vendors had earlier demanded this separation, as food sellers, cloth vendors and machine-repair outlets were placed side by side, affecting business,” sources said.As the engineering wing of the MC moves to begin construction, the civic body has prepared an overall financial estimate of over Rs 4.5 crore. “Since the approved vending zones fall in different sub-divisions, the concerned engineering officers are finalising paperwork. Work will begin on the ground shortly as per approved designs,” MC officials said.Among the nine zones, the Industrial Area Phase 3 site along Raipur Kalan will have the highest number of vending spaces at 244. This is followed by 175 sites at Ram Darbar and 78 at the Bapudham site in Sector 26. The feasibility reports for all nine zones have been attached to the approved designs.Of the nine approved model vending zones, the MC has already built one in Manimajra, which was taken up as a pilot a few months ago. Following its successful completion, the MC and the UT administration identified additional suitable locations, after which the UT’s urban planning department cleared eight more model vending zone sites. All these locations were approved after physical surveys, feasibility assessments and evaluations of commercial viability.
