Days ahead of Diwali, the Gujarat High Court on Thursday permitted the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to temporarily relocate street vendors in the Bhadra Parisar area of the walled city to two nearby plots. The move aims to ease traffic congestion and prevent overcrowding in the historic precinct.In its interim order, the court also prohibited vendors from setting up kiosks or selling goods on public streets or pedestrian pathways in Bhadra Plaza “till further orders.” The area, known for its annual Diwali market, has a high concentration of street vendors.

Under the AMC plan, vendors will be shifted to two temporary sites: one behind Dadabhai Navroji Library, near Pankornaka, Teen Darwaja, and the other at Dhalgarwad Chowk, both around 100 meters from their current locations. The interim arrangement, approved verbally by the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice D N Ray, is intended to protect the livelihoods of registered vendors associated with SEWA and SELO during the festive season.