Chennai to use GIS mapping to infra boost in vending zones

The Greater Chennai Corporation has started GIS mapping of all vendors and identification of 15 major areas to develop infrastructure for street vending. Workers from a private agency hired by the Corporation have started enumeration of street vendors in zones such as Kodambakkam, Adyar, Perungudi, and Sholinganallur. Work on all the remaining 11 zones of the city will begin shortly. They will map the street vendors using a mobile app linked with the internet, collecting the photographs of vendors, information about the business, their family members, Aadhaar, bank account, and other details about their livelihood. This information is expected to improve welfare assistance for street vendors and regulate vending. At present, the city vending committees have identified around 1,000 vending zones. “Once the enumeration is completed, the city is expected to get more vending zones,” an official said.