Every Monday evening, a prominent residential stretch in Jaipur turns into a scene of chaos as a growing weekly haat blocks roads, house entrances, and internal lanes between Bajaj Nagar Road and Officer’s Enclave on Nehru Garden Road. The locality, home to senior government employees, civil service officials, and even a few state ministers, is facing severe inconvenience as unchecked street vending steadily expands across the area.
From Small Cluster to Sprawling Marketplace
What began as a small cluster of vendors has now transformed into a sprawling marketplace occupying roads, bylanes, and alleys. Residents say the encroachment has reached a point where entering or exiting their own homes becomes a struggle for several hours every Monday. The impact is now visible beyond the affected stretch. People living in adjoining areas have started avoiding the route altogether on Mondays, preferring long detours of around four kilometers rather than getting trapped in the congestion.
Inconvenience Beyond Parking Issues
Residents say the problem goes beyond parking issues. The constant shouting by vendors, heavy footfall of shoppers, and congestion on narrow roads have made movement extremely difficult for locals, visitors, and even emergency vehicles. A senior government official posted at the secretariat said he is forced to park his vehicle nearly 700 meters away from his residence every Monday evening because vendors and crowds block access to his garage. “Later at night, after the market disperses, I have to walk back again to retrieve the vehicle and park it properly,” he said.
Residents Voice Concerns Over Safety
Local resident Pratik Gandhi said the situation is worsening every week as more vendors occupy even the smaller adjoining lanes and alleys. With customers pouring in from nearby colonies, motorists are forced to navigate through dense crowds and makeshift stalls. Residents fear that if the present trend continues, it could eventually lead to a major accident. Despite the area’s high-profile character and its proximity to several VVIP neighborhoods, the weekly encroachment continues unchecked, effectively converting a residential zone into a bottleneck.
For residents of the locality, however, there is no such option. Every week, they remain stuck with blocked access, noise, and mounting frustration in what should have been one of Jaipur’s most orderly residential pockets.
