Greater Noida marks 22 more vending zones, stalls may be ready in a year

NOIDA: The Greater Noida authority has identified 22 new spots where vendor zones can be set up. These are in addition to the five places earmarked earlier for vendor markets to be set up over the next three months. Officials said the move would not only benefit the vendors as they would get a designated area to run their businesses, but also facilitate residents who now have to travel some distance to buy essentials. The vendor markets will have facilities like toilets, parking lots and cycle stands, among others. According to the officials, the designated vendor zones would also solve issues such as encroachments along the roads and traffic snarls because of haphazard parking of vehicles by the customers. “Besides, the city’s landscape will also look better,” an official said. Work is currently going on at five dedicated vending zones in Alpha 2, Beta 1, Beta 2, Delta 2 and Sector 36. The authority had made an announcement about them last October. Through this initiative, the authority had planned to give space to over 200 of the 400-odd vendors registered with it.A senior authority official said the construction was going on rapidly and the zones were expected to be ready in two or three months. He added that a survey would be carried out to find the exact number of such vendors in the city and they would be told to register themselves so that they can be given a berth.Surendra Singh, the Greater Noida authority CEO, said, “The idea is to make roads, footpaths and marketplaces free of squatters. Inside the vending zones, platforms will be provided where they can station their carts. It will also provide a hassle-free trading space for these small vendors.”The additional spots that have been identified include sectors XU 1 and 2, Omicron 1 and 3, Zeta 1, Mu 1, sectors 1, 2, 3, 16, 16B, Gamma 1 and 2, Sigma 1 and 2, Phi-Chi Extension, Delta 1 and 3, Eta 1, Swarnanagari, Pi 1, 2 and 3.AK Arora, general manager (projects), said, “The authority intends to construct all these vendor markets in the next one year.”Officials said the authority would soon float tenders to hire agencies for setting up the vendor zones. “Once ready, the space will be allotted to registered vendors through a draw. A committee will also decide the registration criteria,” an official said.In neighbouring Noida, several vending zones have been created across the city, but the project has been marred over several issues.