Residents say their behaviour exposes lack of fear of BMC, regard for pedestrians; officials claim action will be taken again
Illegal hawkers openly ply their trade a few metres away from Borivli station, on Thursday. Pics/Nimesh Dave
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) seems to have forgotten a Bombay High Court ruling which states that an area of 100 metres from railway stations must be considered a no-hawking zone. Hawkers have returned to Borivli station and L T Road, which come under the R Central ward, after a heavy crackdown was carried out against vendors a few days ago. While the BMC claims that action is being taken against the hawkers regularly, photographic evidence and comments from the ward officer suggest that the offenders returned a few hours after the crackdown.
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A BMC vehicle responsible for enforcing the no-hawking zones was also seen standing on the road and hawkers were doing their business just beside the vehicle. “It seemed as if hawkers had no fear of the BMC,” remarked a resident who witnessed the scene. “The BMC’s inaction is emboldening them to occupy public spaces without any regard for the law or public safety.” the local added.
The resident lamented, “The return of hawkers is forcing pedestrians to tread onto traffic-laden roads, increasing the risk of accidents and injuries. The footpaths, meant to ensure the safety of pedestrians, are now almost entirely occupied by vendors, leaving little to no space for passers-by."
Residents and commuters alike have expressed frustration, pointing out that this vicious cycle of encroachment, clearance and re-encroachment continues to repeat itself. “Despite previous crackdowns, hawkers have returned with renewed confidence, seemingly unafraid of any repercussions,” Said Shreyas Shinde, a Borivli resident and railway commuter.
He said, “It’s back to square one for us. The BMC needs to enforce the high court’s ruling more strictly and ensure that hawkers do not return to the no-hawking zones. Our safety should not be compromised.”
Sandhya Nandedkar, assistant municipal commissioner, R Central ward, told mid-day, "We are continuously taking action against such hawkers." She added, “We had taken action against these hawkers Thursday morning. Since the hawkers have returned, we will act against them again.”
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