Livelihood Pattern and Working Condition of Street Vendors in Delhi

Abstract

Street vendors are a community of entrepreneurs who sustain on informal livelihoods. They come to cities like Delhi from the neighboring states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh in search of better livelihood options. But here they have to stay and work in inhuman conditions in order to save money for their families. Street vendors have a very dynamic livelihood pattern. They either sell their goods at one place (Stationery Vendors) or move from one place to another carrying their goods on their head, bicycle or wheel-carts (Mobile Vendors). Some of them sell their goods on daily basis in markets such as Kamla Nagar, Sarojini Nagar, Janpath, etc. whereas some of them put their stalls in weekly markets. They are unskilled workers who start their work and establish themselves with help of family and friends. They have to change the goods which they sell according to seasonal variation. Hence, they are always vulnerable as they do not have a sustainable livelihood. Street vendors operate in very dismal working conditions and in a state of uncertainty. It is almost two and half years since the street vendors (protection of livelihood and regulation of street vending) Act, 2014 was passed. But till now there is no Town Vending Committee in place and neither vending zones have been allotted to street vendors. Above all street vendors are being removed from their place in spite of Supreme Court orders of not removing street vendors until they are allotted with vending zones. Police men and MCD officers harass them and demand money from them on the pretext of them being illegal and removing them from their place. They do not have proper work place and access to facilities such as drinking water, toilets, electricity, etc. In addition to this, they have to face seasonal hardships. For example, their business suffers a lot during rainy season because they do not have a permanent structure which can save them and their goods from rains. Women street vendors face problems related to their privacy, security and child rearing also. It is difficult for them to look after the family and simultaneously go out and sell their goods. This paper will seek to look into the livelihood patterns and working condition of street vendors in Delhi based on primary as well as secondary data.