Livelihoods Lost in Nagpur’s Sitabuldi Market – Glocal Mall Under Scrutiny

Nagpur: Sitabuldi Market, once considered the heart of Nagpur’s identity, is now at the center of controversy. For years, thousands of small shopkeepers, street vendors, and hawkers built their lives and livelihoods here. But recently, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) carried out a sweeping action, forcefully evicting all these vendors and shopkeepers from the area.

Now, the big question arises – Was it really about traffic, or is there something more?

The NMC claims the action was taken to improve traffic flow and provide better walkways for pedestrians. But local residents, shopkeepers, and social activists allege that the real reason behind the eviction is the nearby “Glocal Mall.”

The same street that’s now being declared “encroachment-free” happens to be the one where Glocal Mall is located. According to reports, shops in the mall weren’t selling well, as most customers preferred to buy from the more affordable street vendors instead.

Locals believe that the NMC deliberately cleared out Sitabuldi Market to redirect the crowd toward the mall.

The Vendors’ Pain – “We had a stay order, yet our shops were demolished”

The most shocking part is that many hawkers claim they had secured a stay order from the court, yet their stalls were demolished. One vendor said, “We’ve spent our entire lives working honestly on the roadside – is it justice to throw us out overnight like this?”

Hawkers allege – “We’ve been shifted to the Nagpur-Amravati Highway”

The vendors say they’ve been relocated to the Nagpur-Amravati highway – one of the city’s busiest roads. Now imagine, if a customer stops to buy something, it could lead to long queues of vehicles, routine traffic jams, and even accidents on such a high-speed road.

Sitabuldi is a marketplace, not a highway

Sitabuldi Market is a traditional commercial zone. Here, people shop comfortably in narrow lanes, with stores situated close together, and most customers are pedestrians. This area was built for trade, not traffic. Relocating hawkers from such a market to a busy highway is practically the same as shutting down their businesses.

Parking for Glocal Mall – but not for the general public?

Glocal Mall already has dedicated parking facilities. If the argument is to reduce traffic in Sitabuldi by removing vendors, won’t the increasing crowd and vehicles at the mall create the same traffic issues? Isn’t there a risk of accidents there too? So why are the rules seemingly only enforced on small vendors?

Rising Doubts – “Is it all about Glocal Mall?”

This entire operation has shaken the trust of local residents. They believe unless the NMC provides a transparent explanation backed by clear regulations, the suspicion around Glocal Mall will remain. Because this isn’t just about removing stalls—it’s about livelihoods, lives, and justice.

And finally, a question – Will hundreds of homes be sacrificed for one mall’s success?

The larger issue is this – are we ready to accept such “development” that crushes the livelihoods of small shopkeepers? Aren’t street vendors and hawkers rightful citizens of this city too? Should government support be limited only to big commercial projects?

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us

Save