Srinagar: Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Major Junaid Azim Mattu on Wednesday said that the weekly Sunday market will be regulated on Residency road between Polo View Chowk and Linz Café in the summer capital, Srinagar.
Asserting that all vendors will be registered for sanitation charges, safety norms and regulations to be upheld, he said unauthorized vendors outside defined area won’t be allowed.
However, the vendors have expressed concern over the decision of the administration, alleging that it will render hundreds of people unemployed at a time when economy has already suffered due to unrest in 2019 and COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Once the directions are implemented, the 3-km-long market will be reduced to less than half-a-km.
“Have passed directions for the Sunday Market on Residency Road to be regulated between Polo View Chowk and Linz Cafe. All vendors to be registered for sanitation charges and safety norms and regulations to be upheld,” Mattu wrote on micro-blogging site twitter.
He gave these directions after holding a meeting Residency Road Businessmen’s Association. “Held a detailed meeting with the ‘Residency Road Businessmen’s Association’ at my office today along with officers of SMC’s Sanitation, Drainage, Works and Revenue Wings,” he said.
He said an elaborate beautification plan is being worked out for Residency Road and the Jehlum Bund.
The Srinagar Mayor said SMC City Roads Division has asked to conduct a comprehensive survey of city road stretches without pedestrian footpaths. “Footpaths and pedestrian walkways to be made a mandatory planning and infrastructure norm,” he said.
“SMC, in a ‘Road Aesthetics Policy’ between SMC Works, City Roads (R&B) and Urban Forestry will define and implement following standards for main roads. “Trees on both sides of roads – every 40 feet. Twin Dustbins – every 200 feet. Street Furniture + Art Installations,” he tweeted.
The famous weekly market usually attracts thousands of customers from different parts of the valley. Business worth crores of rupees is done in the market every week in the market in which goods, ranging from a hairpin to carpets, are sold on economical rates.
