The encroached pathways and roads outside the Dadar railway station were cleared by the civic team in a special drive undertaken in the last few days. Around 220 illegal hawkers were removed and roads were cleaned for the pedestrians. The municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani conducted a surprise visit to inspect the action against the hawkers on Monday.
Dadar is one of the favourite shopping destinations in the city. The station, which connects Western and Central lines and is surrounded by vegetable and flower markets, witnesses lakhs of footfall every day. However, most parts of the road and footpaths are occupied by the hawkers, causing inconvenience to the citizens. Following directives of the Bombay High Court, the BMC started a drive against the hawkers in Mumbai.
The extensive drive was carried out from June 28 to 30. The civic body carried out a similar drive across the city and suburbs and removed more than 530 unauthorised hawkers. The BMC has also cleared the footpath from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to the High Court, including other areas such as Kurla, Andheri, and Borivali. The crackdown started to curb the spread of seasonal diseases due to open contamination of food.
The drive has also started against vendors operating during the evening hours in various parts of the city. The civic authorities have appointed three designated teams, one each for the city and suburbs. "We are also lifting abandoned vehicles lying on the roadside. The action is taken twice a day from 8 am to 11 pm in coordination with Mumbai police," said a civic official.
