Mumbai: The beating up of citizens by hawkers on New Mill Road, Kurla (W), last Sunday shows how brazen the vendors have become in the metropolis. The citizens objected to the occupation the road by hawkers following which the latter badly beat them up. In fact, soon after the recent BMC elections hawkers are occupying footpaths and roads with a vengeance all over the city. In doing so they are openly commiting contempt of Bombay high court which had banned hawking within 100 metres of railway stations, hospitals, educational institutions etc. In Chembur, for examples, hawkers not only occupy the main NG Acharya Road, which runs parallel to the railway line, but also the station compound. ``It is quite a task walking on this road," said Kishore Rao, a senior citizen. On MG Road in Ghatkopar (W) hawkers condescend to let BEST buses and other vehicles pass by. ``The other day I saw a BEST driver, get down from his bus and request a hawker with folded hands to shift his hand cart so that the vehicle may move," a local resident Paresh Thakkar stated.
Post-Poll Encroachments
The persistent issue of unauthorised hawkers remains a major civic challenge in Mumbai, affecting pedestrians, traffic movement, and public safety across the city. Despite repeated drives by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the police, footpaths and key junctions continue to be encroached upon, particularly in crowded commercial and residential areas, and outside railway stations. Sources in the police said the hawkers are being controlled by mafias who pay regular `haftas' to the BMC staff. The hawkers around Grant Road station, Dadar, Andheri, Matunga and other areas are all organised by these mafias. In Matunga, even though there is a regular market for vegetable vendors the latter prefer to occupy the footpath and Lakhamsi Napoo Road outside the railway station.
In fact, the Clean Heritage Colaba Residents Association (CHCRA) approached the Bombay High Court for the removal of illegal hawkers from Colaba Causeway; however, despite the court order, the hawkers continue their business and encroach on the footpath, uglifying the heritage area. The Colaba residents have been alleging that the hawkers are in hand-in-glove with certain politicians.
Mafia Control Claims
Despite several eviction drives by the BMC, with the help of the police, the hawkers return to business within hours, making a mockery of the authorities. In a recent incident, after four people lost their lives and 11 others were seriously injured after a BEST bus rammed into the footpath near Bhandup railway station, the BMC carried out an encroachment removal drive and temporarily cleared hawkers. However, hawkers have returned to business as usual, contesting the area like before. Bhandup Station Road serves as a representative example of widespread hawker encroachment across Mumbai.
Roads leading to most railway stations in the city remain occupied by hawkers despite repeated civic action. Police officials stated that security deployment is provided whenever the civic body requests assistance for encroachment removal drives. However, BMC’s License Department, which looks after the encroachment, says it lacks staff to carry out more frequent inspections and eviction drives.
Staff Shortage
“The hawkers outside railway stations less compared to before. However, they return after paying fines and promising to follow the rules. It is difficult to carry out frequent inspections and eviction drives as the department is short of 36 inspectors and 125 labourers,” said BMC’s Superintendent of Licences, Anil Kate.
Civic activists have been calling for the strict implementation of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, along with the proper demarcation of hawking and no-hawking zones. However, the matter is pending in the High Court.
“As per the BMC survey, 32,415 hawkers are eligible, while the hawkers' associations claim the number is 99,000. The final HC hearing is scheduled on January 30. Once the Street Vendors committee comes into force, the implementation of hawking zones, job to evict the unauthorised hawkers will be sorted,” Kate said.
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