Plight of Street Vendors and Avenue Trees in J.P. Nagar

Sir,

For the last few days the Street Vendors and Avenue Trees in J.P. Nagar are facing a tsunami of sorts. On Akka Mahadevi Road, J.P. Nagar, pavement is going to be laid for which strips on both sides of the road are being dug up. That has led to the disaster of the Street Vendors who have been doing business in this area right from the days J.P. Nagar began to develop. 

It is not only that they have been on this stretch for a long time but during the entire pandemic period they have been relentlessly and bravely serving the residents of this locality and now they are in extreme distress. 

Some of them have further squeezed themselves in the spaces between storm water drain and vacant sites. Rain or scorching Sun they are always there. The photos here show their plight. 

We should not forget that they depend upon the meagre daily earnings. On one side they have been given loans to carry on their business, on the other they are being uprooted. Development should not mean disaster to the underprivileged people. 

We must realise that they are self-reliant and honest people. They deserve respect and should be a part of any development process. Perhaps they have been given an impression that once the pavement is done they can come back to the pavement. That is no solution and is a false hope. The problem of the Street Vendors is not going to go away like this. 

The city authorities and urban planners need to ponder on the issue. The one idea which comes to my mind is to revive the concept of traditional weekly santhe in different localities of the city on different days. Give  a thought to it.

Apart from the problem of the Street Vendors owing to the digging for pavement, the roots of the avenue trees have been badly damaged. I am sure this must be against the law but this damage to the matured trees is going to pose a serious danger to the life and property of the region. The officers concerned should urgently inspect and act.

– P.K. Misra, J.P.Nagar, 5.11.2020

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