Jaipur Municipal Corporation is planning designated vending zones, possible vehicle restrictions and a special cleanliness drive in the Walled City ahead of the Diwali shopping rush, as traders demand clear verandahs and footpaths while small vendors seek space to sell festive goods.
Mayor Sunil Kothari has appealed to traders to keep the verandahs outside their shops free of encroachments. Walled City traders have also asked for temporary stalls and carts operating from verandahs and footpaths to be removed, arguing that clearing these spaces could ease congestion in the narrow market areas.
The civic body is simultaneously exploring alternative locations for small vendors, including designated vending zones. The proposed arrangements could accommodate sellers of diyas, flowers, sugarcane, bangles and lac products, who depend on the festive season for a significant share of their annual income.
“Vending zones will be created for small vendors soon. Focus is on providing people across all sections with means to meet their needs,” Kothari said. The mayor indicated that the corporation was considering the interests of both established traders seeking unobstructed access and vendors who rely on temporary festive sales.
Under the proposal being explored, small vendors could be allowed to set up stalls at designated parking spaces. The corporation is also expected to discuss with the police whether four-wheelers should be restricted in the Walled City’s main markets for three days during Diwali. The proposed restriction is intended to address movement and congestion during the period of heavier festive footfall, although the report does not specify the markets or the final traffic plan.
Sanitation is another part of the corporation’s Diwali preparations. A ward-wise cleanliness drive is planned, but the civic body faces a shortage of sanitation workers. Kothari acknowledged that deploying staff for special campaigns in one ward can leave other areas with inadequate routine cleaning.
“Yes, other wards are left without adequate cleaning when these campaigns are conducted. However, during the special cleanliness drive for Diwali, we will take only 40% of the manpower from other wards. Since it is a two-day per week campaign, impact on other wards will not be significant,” he said.
The condition of narrow and dirty bylanes across the Walled City remains an additional concern. Kothari acknowledged that these lanes should have been cleaned before the monsoon and said the agency would now address the problem. The final locations for vending zones, the proposed vehicle restrictions and the detailed sanitation deployment plan were not specified in the report.
