Within a few hours after the BMC evicted the unauthorised stalls from the Colaba causeway on Wednesday, the hawkers were back to business. Following repeated complaints by residents and an ultimatum given by a residents' group led by former corporator Makrand Narwekar, the civic body took action to evict 67 stalls from Colaba Causeway, south Mumbai’s famous shopping street. This is the fourth eviction drive at the same spot in the last couple of months.
“This is a routine exercise by BMC. Every few days, they evict the hawkers and within no time, they are back with their confiscated goods. This eyewash exercise, fooling the citizens, is not possible without connivance of the hawkers mafia and politicians,” said Pervez Cooper, vice president of Clean and Heritage Colaba Residents Association.
Hawkers at Colaba causeway return after eviction drive | CHCRA
“When I passed by Regal Cinema in the morning, there were hardly any stalls as BMC has carried out their eviction drive. I returned by 5 pm, and all the stalls were back in their place. There is no permanent solution to this problem. Top to bottom, everyone is corrupt. The charm of Colaba has long gone,” Cooper added.
Former corporator Narwekar said, “While Wednesday’s action is a welcome move, it is not sufficient. The BMC must go beyond token actions all illegal stalls and encroachments must be permanently removed. To make Colaba Causeway truly pedestrian-friendly, the BMC should deploy a dedicated, full-time team from the License and Encroachment Removal Department to maintain clear, accessible and safe footpaths.”
“There are also repeat offenders who continue to violate rules with impunity. The BMC must take strict legal action against them by filing FIRs and booking them under the MPID Act, ensuring lasting deterrence,” he added.
In April this year, the Bombay High Court directed the BMC to take action against authorised hawkers operating at Colaba Causeway. The BMC had informed the court that only 83 are licensed hawkers, but the hawkers' union has been claiming that 253 hawkers are eligible for a license and approached the Supreme Court seeking protection.
BMC’s superintendent of licenses, Anil Kate and assistant municipal commissioner of A ward, Jaideep More, could not be reached for a comment.
The BMC administration, in its statement on Wednesday, said that the action against the unauthorised hawkers will continue.
