Street food zones to balance livelihoods, food safety, sanitation and orderly public spaces
SRINAGAR, AUGUST 13: Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has issued Operational Guidelines for establishment of designated Street Food Cart Zones across Srinagar, marking a significant step towards bringing street food vending under a structured, transparent and sustainable framework.
The initiative, being implemented under the leadership of SMC Commissioner, Fazlul Haseeb, seeks to create organised spaces for street food vendors while ensuring food safety, sanitation, pedestrian convenience, traffic management and responsible use of public spaces.
In the first phase, locations identified for designated food cart zones include Opposite JKTDC Water Sports, Dalgate Bund, Badamwari, JVC Bemina, Magarmal Bagh and Rajbagh, besides an identified location along the right side of River Jhelum.
Each designated zone will have a regulated holding capacity determined on the basis of available space, pedestrian movement, accessibility, traffic conditions and fire-safety considerations.
“The objective is not merely to regulate street food vending, but to create organised, clean and dignified spaces where vendors can pursue their livelihoods while ensuring that public convenience, sanitation, pedestrian movement and the character of Srinagar’s public spaces are fully protected,” said Commissioner, SMC.
The guidelines recognise street vending as an important source of employment, entrepreneurship and affordable food services, while addressing challenges associated with unregulated concentration of food carts, including traffic congestion, obstruction of pedestrian movement, inadequate sanitation and improper disposal of waste.
Under the framework, food carts will be required to conform to standardised designs and specifications and comply with prescribed requirements relating to food hygiene, potable water, waste segregation, waste water management and fire safety. Licensed carts will also be required to prominently display applicable municipal and FSSAI permissions, along with menu and price lists.
The framework provides for different categories of non-motorised and motorised food carts, based on their size and nature of operation. Motorised food vending vehicles will require applicable clearance from the Motor Vehicles Department before municipal permission is granted.
A structured mechanism has also been prescribed for scrutiny of applications and allotment of spaces, with emphasis on transparency, fairness and adherence to the carrying capacity of individual designated zones.
The guidelines have been formulated in consonance with the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, the Jammu and Kashmir Street Vendors Rules, 2020, and the Model Scheme notified in 2021.
With Srinagar witnessing substantial pedestrian, vehicular and tourist movement, the Corporation envisages the designated zones as organised and well-managed spaces where street food businesses can operate without compromising public convenience, cleanliness, traffic movement or the distinctive character of the city.
“Srinagar has a vibrant street-food culture, and our approach is to organise and strengthen this sector rather than displace it. The designated zones will provide greater predictability for vendors while enabling the Corporation to maintain cleaner, safer and more accessible public spaces,” Fazlul Haseeb added.
The initiative is expected to provide a more predictable and dignified operating environment for street food vendors while strengthening the Corporation’s ability to manage public spaces through a transparent, accountable and sustainable regulatory framework.
