The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation is firming up plans for setting up hawkers' zones in the city. In all the six zones, big sites have been identified for the zones where vending will take place.
While initial estimates put the number of hawkers and vendors in the city between 12,000 and 13,000, the number is expected to be higher by another 2,000 to 3,000.
The Urban Community Development wing has details of the hawkers and the business they are carrying out and duration of time etc.
The City Planning wing has identified big, unobjectionable sites for accommodating them. Besides, other areas for the hawkers and vendors in the rest of the city are also being identified. Sources said site-plans are being prepared for the zones presently.
However, there are also concerns about how hawking and vending will be regulated without it becoming a regular market place in course of time.
Sources said there will be free zones, restricted zones and no- vending zones. In free zones some trades can be carried out all through, while in restricted zones there will be time specifications.
The survey has identified people doing various petty businesses like selling vegetables, food items, fish, mutton etc.
The corporation will suggest some space-saving methods for sellers in the identified zones and creates infrastructure. With the city already having some areas where vending and hawking has been taking place, they are likely to be declared as the specified zones, probably later this month.
Municipal Commissioner B. Ramanjaneyulu on Tuesday visited a site near Sitammadhara rythu bazaar along with officials.
He asked officials to make arrangements for about 30 hawkers selling vegetables, fish, fruit and snacks. He was accompanied by Additional Commissioner S. Krishna Murthy, Chief Engineer B. Jayarami Reddy and Chief City Planner D. Venkataratnam.
