Mumbai: The BMC has confiscated 713 handcarts, 1,037 gas cylinders and 1,246 other materials that were being used for running food stalls on streets in the city. The crackdown that started last week to curb the spread of seasonal diseases due to open contamination of food.
The drive 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. As per the report, more than 3,000 materials, such as gas cylinders and handcarts were confiscated in an action taken between June 18 to 24.
The civic team has also started action on hawkers encroaching footpaths. "A ward wise team has been formed to remove encroachment on roads and footpaths. 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.
The civic body also started confiscating Shawarma machines after a teenager lost his life by consuming street food from one of the stalls in Mankhurd last month. "The drive will continue throughout the year to curb the spread of seasonal diseases. We are also planning to get a centralised godown for keeping these confiscated items. The handcarts that we have seized will be demolished, since there is no provision of issuing licenses and allowing handcarts to operate legally on the roads in the city," said a senior civic official.
The Bombay High Court had last year taken suo motu (on its own) cognizance of the issue of illegal and unauthorised hawkers and vendors in the city. On Monday, the court slammed the civic body for failing to keep illegal hawkers and vendors in check and suggested that they prepare a database to identify such repeated offenders.
