Balangir, Nov. 20: Residents here are facing a lot of inconvenience as vendors continue to occupy road space in the absence of any specified zone.

As roadside traders encroach key streets, traffic chaos adds to people’s woe. The situation turns worse in the evening hours.

The Daily Market Road, Rugudipara Road, Rajendra College Chowk, Palace Line Chowk, Bhagirathi Chowk and areas near the collectorate and civil court have become most-preferred zones for vendors who trade in vegetables, fruit, fish, meat and other wares.

Rabi Mahapatra said with vendors taking up road space, negotiating these stretches during peak traffic hours was almost impossible.

“I go to my workplace through the busy Government Bus Stand Road and Bhagirathi Chowk. It becomes difficult to travel because of encroachment by roadside traders,” Mahapatra said.

In 2007, the municipality had taken steps to shift the roadside meat sellers to the weekly market. But most of them have returned back to their earlier place and the administration is mum on it.

Encroachments and illegal constructions on the weekly market roads is another big problem.

Subrat Behera of Rajendra College Chowk said that population of Balangir had increased manifold “but the roads were getting narrower due to encroachment by the roadside traders”.

“It is high time the municipal authority thought about vending zones,” he said.

Executive officer of Balangir municipality Santosh Behera said a proposal to set up vending zones was being considered. “I am aware about the problem. We are serious about vending zones and have finalised a proposal to this effect,” he said.