Dehradun vending zones October 2026: one row only at 6 Number Pulia

Dehradun's mayor on 13 October 2026 ordered a single row of vendors at the 6 Number Pulia vending zone. The wider plan for 25 vending zones has still not reached the ground.

What happened

One row at 6 Number Pulia. The Pioneer reported on 16 October 2026 that Mayor Saurabh Thapliyal had directed on Tuesday, which was 13 October, that only one row of fruit and vegetable stalls will be allowed at the smart vending zone at 6 Number Pulia (Chhe Number Pulia). Vendors had spread beyond the marked area into two rows and were blocking traffic. The local councillor and residents had complained. The mayor told municipal officials to mark vending lines, organise the zone and act against anyone occupying the road. He said the corporation wants to protect vendors who work in an organised way while giving relief to the public and drivers.

The same zone was found in a mess in May. Doon Horizon reported on 7 May 2026 that a surprise check by a municipal team at 6 Number Pulia, the city's first smart vending zone, found about 40 carts running illegally alongside 95 allotted shops. The report said some shops were still in the names of people who had died, some families held several allotments, and more than 20 shops had been sublet at ₹200 a day. Stalls meant to be 4 feet wide had been doubled with iron and wooden frames that reached onto the road. Solar panels installed six years ago no longer worked, and the report said vendors had taken illegal electricity connections. The mayor said allotments made wrongly could be cancelled and encroaching structures demolished, and that staff would face action if they were found to be involved. The councillor's name is spelt differently in the two reports, so we have left it out.

A second zone over capacity. News99Live reported on 13 May 2026 that a verification at the vending zone in the Simadwar area of Ward 40 found 49 vendors working against 43 registered. The six extra vendors were told to leave by 15 May or face action. The same drive seized two truckloads of goods and 15 hoardings from Lakshmi Road, Pant Road, Parade Ground and Rajpur Road.

The 25-zone plan is still on paper. The Pioneer reported on 26 February 2026 that the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun had identified land for 25 vending zones, with half of each zone kept for parking, and was finalising detailed project reports. Doon Horizon reported on 24 February that the zones would cover all seven assembly seats in the city, with about 150 carts near Indresh Hospital and 80 to 88 at Mohkampur, plus CCTV, drinking water, bio-toilets and QR-coded vendor cards. By 19 June the Pioneer reported that the zones were still not working, that vendors returned to footpaths the same day after drives, and that fines were about ₹500. Municipal Commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey said he had called for the file and wanted a permanent solution soon. We found no report of any of the 25 zones opening since then.

Smaller towns are behind too. Amar Ujala reported on 28 September 2026, in a story filed under its Vikasnagar news, that the local palika has about 350 registered vendors but no permanent vending zone, despite sites such as Church Road, Saiyad Road and Pahadi Gali being identified since 2022.

What it means for shop owners and tenants in Dehradun

This section is our view.

Expect tighter lines, not empty footpaths. The corporation's approach is to fit vendors into marked spaces rather than remove them. Shops facing a vending zone or a busy footpath should expect stalls to stay, but in a narrower, policed strip. That can help visibility and access for the shop behind.

Ask about vending zones before you sign a commercial lease. If a shop sits next to a planned zone, footfall and parking may change once it opens, and half of each zone is meant to be parking. The final list of 25 sites has not been published in the reports we read, so ask the ward office or the Nagar Nigam about the specific road. Our post on whether to rent or buy commercial property in Dehradun covers other checks.

Do not pay for a vending stall or kiosk from a private person. The 6 Number Pulia findings show allotments being sublet and held in dead people's names. A stall in a municipal zone is a licence from the corporation, not property. Paying someone for it gives you no rights, and the corporation has said wrong allotments may be cancelled. The same caution applies to Nagar Nigam lease shops, as our report on a lease shop sold three times in Ghosi Gali shows.

Keep your own frontage clear. Drives target shopkeepers who extend onto the road as well as vendors. If you are looking for a shop with proper frontage, browse commercial property for rent in Dehradun.

Questions people ask

How many vending zones does Dehradun have?

In June 2025 the mayor said the Doon Vihar zone on Rajpur Road was the corporation's third, after 6 Number Pulia and Patel Nagar, according to Janta Ki Awaaz. A plan for 25 more was announced in February 2026, but reports up to October do not show any of them working yet.

What changed at 6 Number Pulia in October 2026?

On 13 October 2026 the mayor ordered that only one row of fruit and vegetable stalls be allowed, and told officials to mark lines and act against road encroachment, the Pioneer reported.

What is the fine for street vending encroachment in Dehradun?

The Pioneer reported in June 2026 that drives impose penalties of about ₹500 each, and goods are seized if the fine is not paid on the spot.

Sources

Buying or selling property in Dehradun and unsure about the paperwork? Call Neeraj Thapa on +91 98320 03494.

How we write these: the ILA Infra team reads the reports listed under Sources and links every one, so you can check each figure yourself. The section on what it means for buyers is our own view, not advice.