Visakhapatnam’s anti-encroachment drive | Caught between changing cityscape and shattered livelihoods

On September 15, 2025, Visakhapatnam metropolis underwent a jarring translation nether the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation’s (GVMC) monolithic anti-encroachment inaugural “Operation Life to Urban Green Spaces (LUNGS) 2.0.” Once-bustling thoroughfares and commercialized streets laic buried beneath jagged alloy sheets, shattered wood panels, and the remains of dismantled stalls and shops. The city’s pulse—its vibrant thoroughfare markets, nutrient courts and commercialized hubs—had been abruptly silenced, displacing hundreds of radical from their livelihoods.

Also read: GVMC clears 1,053 encroachments successful Visakhapatnam successful 2 days

The corporation’s assertion of reviving the city’s municipality spaces was soon met with absorption successful the signifier of protests by displaced thoroughfare vendors, joined by members of workers’ unions and near parties. By 10 a.m., they assembled adjacent Mahatma Gandhi Statue other the GVMC office, the city’s renowned protestation site, and soon the aerial was reverberating with slogans against the corp and the State government, “accusing them of snatching distant livelihoods successful the sanction of municipality beautification.”

Among the assemblage was K. Geetha, seated with her six-year-old girl successful her lap. Geetha and her hubby had been moving a tiffin stall successful Kancharapalem for 8 years, but present their satellite collapsed overnight, said Geetha with tears successful her eyes. “We person a slope indebtedness to repay. Every time we wide ₹1,000 debt, too schoolhouse fees, household expenses, and bills. Where volition we get the wealth now? How are we expected to past oregon does the authorities privation america to extremity our lives,” she questioned.

Also read: GVMC pauses Operation Lungs for Dasara

Triggered by the evictions, galore emotionally shattered vendors pleaded with officials for relief, portion others hurried to wide their belongings earlier the earthmovers began their work. The astir affected country was reportedly city’s fashionable nighttime nutrient tribunal astatine the Old Jail Road. A bustling hub that began with astir 30 to 40 nutrient stalls has grown implicit clip to astir 180 stalls, allegedly mostly unauthorised.

Stating that the GVMC’s eviction thrust deed the licenced vendors, Mr. Srikanth, a postgraduate who ran a licensed nutrient motortruck here, said, “Instead of dealing with unauthorised vendors, the GVMC has thrown retired the 40 licensed ones. Our lawsuit is pending successful the court, yet they removed america nether the pretext of nationalist information and sanitation. How is this justified?”

Even though the GVMC has not released an authoritative number, the workers’ unions estimation that astatine slightest 10,000 families person been straight oregon indirectly financially deed since the eviction thrust commenced.

All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) person P. Ramana demanded that the GVMC instantly telephone disconnected the drive. “For the past fewer days, thousands of mediocre families person been near devastated implicit GVMC’s forcibly eviction drive. We are not against development, but against the unethical attraction of these vendors who were not fixed clip to marque alternate arrangements. We privation footpaths to beryllium escaped too, but wherever are the vending zones? Why has the GVMC failed to make alternatives?” helium questioned.

A fig of women vendors asked if this was the government’s Dasara acquisition to them. Geetha’s sister-in-law Vasanthi who joined her astatine the protestation tract said that she had a sugarcane foodstuff stall astatine Seethammadhara. In a choking voice, she asked, “Did we inquire for “Amma Vodi” oregon “free autobus ride” schemes? The authorities announced respective payment schemes to assistance women, but has destroyed our lone means of earning. What bully are these schemes if our income is taken away?”

Stating that the GVMC did not springiness immoderate anterior notice, Ms. Vasanthi alleged, “No announcement was served to america arsenic claimed by the GVMC. They did not springiness america clip to marque alternate arrangements oregon to acceptable store astatine a antithetic location. Not adjacent a day’s clip was given. They conscionable arrived with bulldozers and I had to battalion immoderate I could and leave,” portion adding, “After years of moving arsenic a maid, I saved capable wealth to acceptable up this foodstuff stall with loans and investments. I person 2 school-going children, however bash I wage their fees oregon energy bills, groceries, rent. Is this the government’s festival gift?”

Others echoed her pain, particularly the older women, who said they were warring not conscionable for their livelihood, but for their dignity arsenic well. Padma, 55, stood beneath the blazing prima holding a placard successful her telephone for justice. She shared that her lad had passed distant 20 years ago, and since then, she has sustained herself by moving a beverage stall successful Kancharapalem. “This was my lone root of income and they took it away. I unrecorded successful a rented location alone, present what volition I do,” she cried.

The eviction drive, however, received mixed effect from the residents. While immoderate welcomed congestion-free roads and unfastened footpaths, others felt determination could person been different solution that did not deed the livelihoods of the poor.

B. Raja Rao, a retired Army officer, said, “The Old Jail Road is yet peaceful. For the archetypal time, I spot children cycling adjacent the parkland and the aerial is escaped of immoderate foul smell. Earlier, owed to the nutrient discarded littering the area, foul odor emanated attracting stray dogs and cattle. It is besides bully due to the fact that galore vendors sold adulterated and unsafe food.” However, his person N. Ramesh had a antithetic opinion, “Yes, sanitation was poor, but these nutrient courts provided a rejoicing clip to galore families successful the evenings. Even I often visited these nutrient courts with my household arsenic my children bask thoroughfare food.” Questioning the drive, helium asked, “Why could not GVMC modulate them alternatively of evicting?”

Supporting the drive, members of A.P. Federation for Resident Welfare Associations (APFERWAS), including Uday Shirname and KSR Murthy, said that the determination would trim postulation accidents and amended safety. However, they besides insisted that the GVMC indispensable rapidly acceptable up due vending zones for the displaced.

Meanwhile, the quality rights activists slammed the evictions arsenic amerciable and unconstitutional. V.S. Krishna of HRF pointed retired that the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, prohibits specified arbitrary actions. Vendors cannot beryllium removed until a due survey is conducted and certificates of vending are issued. “Evictions without announcement oregon creating alternate zones are unlawful and the GVMC is violating the precise instrumentality meant to support these people,” Mr. Krishna said.

‘Political blame-game’

The thrust sparked governmental outrage successful the State, with the Opposition accusing the Alliance authorities of targeting the mediocre up of the Dasara festival.

YSRCP territory president K.K. Raju alleged that the thrust was a deliberate conspiracy. “The authorities conducted the thrust portion MLAs were occupied with Assembly sessions and corporators were distant connected survey tours. However, the work is present being passed betwixt the Mayor and the GVMC Commissioner,” helium said.

The determination was reportedly criticised by ruling enactment corporators and MLAs, who expressed their displeasure with the enactment precocious command. Visakhapatnam South MLA Vamsikrishna Srinivas strictly condemned the determination and promised to propulsion for alleviation measures.

General Secretary of Jana Sena Party (JSP) Bolisetty Satyanarayana highlighted the provisions of the Street Vendors Act that support vendors from eviction and let them entree to schemes similar PM SVANidhi loans and insurance. He demanded regulated models specified arsenic fixed operating hours, strict hygiene standards, discarded disposal rules, and transparent licensing done tenders.

Allegeding monolithic irregularities successful stall collections, helium said, “Nearly ₹25lakh was being collected each period from 240 stalls connected Jail Road, and astir ₹50 lakh from 1,750 stalls elsewhere. The authorities indispensable retrieve this wealth and cleanable up the system.”

Essential for nationalist health, says GVMC

GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg said that “Operation Lungs 2.0” was indispensable for nationalist health, pedestrian safety, and creaseless postulation flow. “Encroachments person forced pedestrians onto engaged roads, creating bottlenecks and expanding accidents. Many stalls merchantability unhygienic nutrient that poses wellness hazards. “Operation Lungs 2.0” is astir protecting radical by clearing footpaths, reducing congestion, and making the metropolis safer and much aesthetic.”

Rehabilitation

The GVMC assured that steps are being taken to rehabilitate eligible vendors. Project Director of Urban Community Development (UCD) helping of GVMC, M. Satyaveni said, “We are identifying eligible vendors and creating vending opportunities. The corp has already submitted 21 vending zones options to the government, but arsenic these would not beryllium sufficient, much are being identified. Surveys of vendors are 90% implicit and those recognised nether the State Street Vendors Act volition person alternate arrangements.”

The Project Director appealed to the vendors and nationalist not to judge rumours oregon misconceptions astir the operation. She told The Hindu, “Following the GVMC Commissioner’s orders, the Town Planning and UCD officials person been successful the process of mounting things successful spot for the vending zones. Probably, it whitethorn instrumentality conscionable a fewer weeks time.”

Meanwhile, according to GVMC officials, the metropolis witnessed a important summation successful the fig of thoroughfare vendors implicit the past 5 years, peculiarly aft the COVID-19 pandemic. A elder GVMC authoritative said that during the pandemic, galore small-scale shops emerged to conscionable the request for regular essentials specified arsenic groceries, fruits, and vegetables. This inclination gradually contributed to the emergence successful thoroughfare vending.

Today, the metropolis sees hundreds of thoroughfare nutrient stalls, tiffin centres and different kiosks, galore of which run on roads and footpaths. GVMC officials estimation that determination are presently astir 18,000 thoroughfare vendors officially recognised wrong its jurisdiction.