No Survey of City street Hawkers for 12 Years; PMC Plans Fresh Assessment

PMC has not surveyed street vendors since 2014, despite mandatory five-year norms. Authorities now plan surveys in newly added villages and may extend assessment to older areas

Pune | 05 May 2026: The Pune Municipal Corporation has come under scrutiny for failing to conduct a mandatory survey of street vendors in the city for the past twelve years, despite rules requiring such assessments every five years to regulate and reorganise hawker zones. The last comprehensive survey was carried out in 2014, after which no updated enumeration has been completed for the core city limits.

Under existing regulations, the civic body is responsible for identifying and registering licensed street vendors, issuing certificates, and creating designated vending zones to ensure that pedestrian movement and traffic are not obstructed. These measures are also intended to facilitate orderly rehabilitation of hawkers while balancing urban space management.

Officials had earlier claimed that around 525 vending zones were created following the 2014 survey, which included both street vendors and food sellers. However, in the absence of a fresh survey, the number of vendors operating in the city has reportedly increased significantly, leading to concerns over unauthorised encroachments and enforcement challenges.

The gap in updating vendor data has also created administrative difficulties, including growing arrears in licence-related dues and enforcement inconsistencies. Authorities now face the dual challenge of managing unregulated vending activity while attempting to recover pending charges and maintain urban order. Meanwhile, the civic administration has initiated steps to conduct a fresh survey, beginning with newly included 23 villages under the municipal limits. According to the head of the encroachment department, Somnath Bankar, a decision has been taken to undertake the survey in these areas first, with implementation expected after approval from the general body.

Officials have also indicated that a survey of the older city limits is under consideration as part of a broader review of street vending operations. The exercise is expected to help update records, reassess vending zones, and streamline rehabilitation measures in accordance with statutory provisions. Urban policy experts note that timely surveys are essential for effective street vending regulation, as outdated data can lead to congestion, disputes, and uneven enforcement. The proposed exercise, once approved, is expected to be a key step in restructuring hawker management across Pune.

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