Street vendors swarm Solan roads ahead of Shoolini Fair

With the state-level Shoolini Fair set to begin this weekend, every nook and corner of Solan’s iconic Mall Road and Rajgarh Road has been taken over by a swarm of unregulated street vendors, most of whom have arrived from neighbouring states like Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. Their aim: to cash in on the religious and commercial fervour surrounding the three-day festival that draws thousands of visitors daily.

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While the Solan Municipal Corporation (MC) officially allots limited stalls at designated venues like Thodo Ground and the old bus stand, the majority of vendors bypass official registration and occupy sidewalks, open spaces and even shopfronts—contributing significantly to congestion in the already traffic-prone city centre.

Municipal Commissioner Ekta Kapta confirmed the situation. “We have allotted 15 stalls at Thodo Ground and six more at the old bus stand. The rest have set up tented stalls without any authorisation. Despite launching a joint campaign with the police to remove them, they continue to remain on-site, some even keeping stalls closed during the day but operational by evening,” she said. Kapta added that the administration now plans to charge these vendors for occupying public space.

The presence of these makeshift vendors—offering everything from toys, cosmetics, and street food to readymade garments, utensils, and home décor—may bring them brisk business, but it has made life increasingly difficult for local residents. The additional footfall, coupled with limited road space, has led to daily gridlocks, with even emergency vehicles struggling to navigate the crowd.

Shopkeepers along the Mall Road are reportedly complicit, allowing vendors to set up outside their premises for a share in profits. Many vendors arrive days ahead of the fair and often linger for days afterward, turning a short-term celebration into a long-term civic headache.

Despite the fair being a cultural highlight, residents express growing frustration over the administration’s inability to effectively regulate street vending. The unauthorized stalls may be a source of livelihood for many, but they continue to stretch Solan’s infrastructure to its limits.