Chaos Amid Chaos: A Critical Debate for Street Vendors – Struggle and Adaptation Post COVID Era

Abstract

Indian economy is based on the unorganised sector. The mayhem created to the daily earner on the streets of Delhi. Once it was considered that the street vending was one of the easiest occupations for the survival of the people living in the lowest ladder in the economy. Anyone who does not have any means of earning can espouse vending as profession as it has societal sanction and acceptability in terms of diversity and universalistic point of view. In search of better livelihood, people used to migrate from rural India to urban metros like Delhi. The analysis of the pre-conditions of the street vendors will help us to have a glimpse of prior COVID-19 situation in the region. Now, this chapter tries to debate on the kind of adaptability that street vendors needed post COVID-19 era. An informal interview conducted with the street vendors help us to comprehend their preparedness for their adaptability to survive. This chapter also tries to discuss some of the programmes and policies that can be a lifeline for the street vendors during the post COVID-19 era.

Citation

Ahmad, S. (2021), "Chaos Amid Chaos: A Critical Debate for Street Vendors – Struggle and Adaptation Post COVID Era", Grima, S., Sirkeci, O. and Elbeyoğlu, K. (Ed.) A New Social Street Economy: An Effect of The COVID-19 Pandemic (Contemporary Studies in Economic and Financial Analysis, Vol. 107), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 147-153. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1569-375920210000107024