Gurgaon’s Sector 56 street food market limping back to normalcy after lockdown

The street food market in Sector 56 used to be one of the most happening places in Gurgaon before the pandemic hit. On any given day, the place was buzzing with street food lovers and on weekends, you’d be lucky if you didn’t have to wait several minutes just to get your order in. But the pandemic changed that and the market turned into a deserted spot, like many other places in the city. Earlier this year, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram’s crackdown on illegal street hawkers and vendors also saw several food carts shut shop there, further robbing the market of its sheen. However, as the city unlocks gradually after the second wave, the Sector 56 market is also limping back to normalcy.

As the lockdown was lifted in Gurgaon earlier this month, the once-bustling market reopened. And pretty soon, the place was once again abuzz with foodies, albeit with COVID protocols in place. A worker at one of the food carts in the market says, “We had started our cart again the last weekend post lockdown and the response has been pretty good. We are maintaining all hygiene and safety standards and trying to ensure social distancing for the customers as well.”
‘Once the footfall increases, we need to take measures to ensure social distancing’
With an increase in footfall at the market over the weekend, some concerns about the lack of social distancing were raised. “Once the lockdown was lifted, people started coming here in droves. It’s not ideal because social distancing goes for a toss. Even though it’s good for our business, it is a little concerning,” says a food cart owner. Manoj, a vendor, adds, “Right now, it’s manageable because the crowd is less. People have just started coming here after the lockdown but once the footfall increases, we may have to take some measures to ensure social distancing. We don’t want any untoward incident happening here when the business starts picking up again.”

Missed the vibe of Sector 56 market for months: Foodies
The market has been the most popular street food place in Millennium City over the last few years since the food trucks near Leisure Valley Park closed. Rajit Ahuja, a Sector 54 resident, who visited the market recently, tells us, “The vibe of Sector 56 is
different. We had been missing it for months. First, the pandemic and then the MCG crackdown had robbed the market of its sheen. But this weekend, it felt that it was returning.” In its current form, the market is only a shell of what it was in its heyday, but for Gurgaon’s food connoisseurs, even that is enough. “It is better that there are fewer carts as compared to earlier because that means fewer people and less crowding. But what I saw there gives me hope that the market will be back to normal again very soon,” adds Namrata, who recently visited the market with her family.

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