Mumbai: Locals breathe free as Bandra roads are cleared of hawkers

Residents of Bandra were happy to see the hawkers-free Hill Road. Pic/Atul Kamble

Just a few hours after the stormy meeting of residents with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials and police over hawkers' nuisance in Bandra west on Tuesday, the roads were cleared. There wasn't a single hawker on Hill Road and Linking Road on Wednesday. There was heavy bandobast of police and BMC squads on the roads. The BMC said notices will be served to all shops and private premises telling them to refrain them from supporting illegal hawkers.

The issue of illegal hawkers on various roads in Bandra has been burning for years. In a meeting with members of the residents' associations and police officers, officials from H west ward, which has jurisdiction over Bandra west, assured on Tuesday of action against erring shopkeepers and private properties that help hawkers. In the evening on Tuesday a BMC team took action amid heavy police presence against the hawkers.

Also read: Mumbai: BMC to strip licences of shops encouraging illegal hawkers

"It is seen that many shops help hawkers to keep their stock and now we are serving notices to all shops and private premises informing them to stop supporting hawkers and not let them on their premises during BMC's action, otherwise we will take legal action against them and revoke licences and permissions," said Vinayak Vispute, assistant commissioner of H west ward.

"The licences of shops can be revoked if they create nuisance. I want BMC and the police to act by the law," said Ashish Shelar, former local MLA who was present at the meeting of residents and authorities on Tuesday. Vispute added, "With help from the police force and our removal of encroachment teams we are constantly monitoring the roads. If we get continuous support from the police, the roads will be free."

Anandini Thakur, a trustee of H west ward Citizens' Trust said, "The roads are free of hawkers now and it is a big relief for Bandra residents. I hope the movement will take off from here." Rohington Polishwala, a resident of Hill Road said, "The roads are free, we don't know whether this is temporary or permanent. But this time we will not compromise in any condition."

"Despite the Supreme Court's decision, the BMC failed to implement the hawker's policy, and corruption is the only reason behind it. Even the smallest vendor gives R3,000 per month to the BMC and police and they just don't want to give up the source of so much money. The action against hawkers is an eyewash for the public and another way of harassment of sellers," said Shashank Rao, president of Mumbai Hawkers Union.