THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Street hawking and roadside food booths on the RKV road that connects the Museum and Kanakakkunnu are all set to be back in style. The setting up of a smart vending zone here as part of the Smart City project will be commissioned within a month, sources in Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL) said.
The city corporation is finalising the list of vendors who need to be rehabilitated to the designated zones. Water connection will also be provided to them. The corporation aims to rehabilitate around 48 street vendors and hawkers on the Museum and Sooryanakthi premises. They also expect to put an end to unorganised vending activities in the area disrupting pedestrian movement.
“The physical structure of the vending zone has been completed. Now, we are finalising the vendors and trying to get approval for water connection. Though they did not ask for a connection, we are providing it to ensure a hygienic environment. We are waiting for approval from the Kerala Water Authority, a top official of SCTL told TNIE.
Out of the 48 vendors, 36 have designated shops while the remaining 12 are mainly street hawkers. The zone has the facility to accommodate them too. The construction of a children’s park opposite to it is also nearing completion. The vending zone has been constructed at a cost of `3 crore. As many as 10 vendors, who do business in front of the Museum Police Station and the Museum main gate, will also be rehabilitated to the designated zone. As part of the project, SCTL has also set up a smart parking area which will be a relief for people visiting the Museum and Kanakakunnu. Officials said there will be a five-year defect liability period for the project.
“The three projects – smart vending zone at RKV, Captain Lakshmi Park opposite Kanakakunnu Palace and the open-air theatre at Putharikandam ground – under Smart City will be ready for inauguration by next month,” said D R Anil, works standing committee chairman, Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.