Mumbai: When clock strikes 7, it is party time for hawkers at Bandra

Hill Road in Bandra looks spacious and beautiful only till 7 pm That is because a BMC antiencroachment van is stationed on the thoroughfare which is among the cityrsquos favourite shopping destinations Chaos rules the moment the BMC vehicle leaves the spot Illegal hawkers grab every inch of the footpath and even spill onto the roadLocals said this happens despite assurances by the authorities and politiciansAfter much hue and cry locals said the BMC drove the illegal street vendors off Hill Road in August After a few days of peace and tranquillity the road is back to its chaotic best in the evening every dayAlso read Mumbai Crime Bandra woman loses Rs 85 lakh over free thaliWith the BMC van gone illegal street vendors spill onto the footpath and the roadTo witness the hawker show midday reached Hill Road around 6 pm on Thursday and found the road and footpaths clear A few hawkers with large stands selling clothes and fashion accessories were present but they occupied the space in front of big shops ensuring there was ample space for walkers on the footpath We spotted an antiencroachment van of the BMC van in the vicinityThe BMC vehicle left the area at 655 pm Within 5 to 10 minutes one hawker after another appeared from nowhere By 8 pm the place was bustling and teeming with the unauthorised street vendorsldquoAfter our complaints and regular followups the BMC stationed its van in front of our buildings and so there arenrsquot any hawkers in the periphery of 50 metres But after that once the vehicle is gone the hawker menace continuesrdquo said Rohinton Polishwala a Hill Road resident ldquoWhen I pointed out the issue to the BMC they told me to look for myselfrdquo He said the van leaves between 7 pm and 730 pm and hawkers do their business till nightHawkers spread footwear on Hill Road PicSameer MarkandeldquoThe BMC has its smart ways to deal with crucial issues like potholes hawkers waste management and nullah cleaning Though these issues are complex and need comprehensive policies the BMC finds ways to do a patch job for the time being Even in the hawkersrsquo case the action is just an eyewashrdquo said another resident from Hill Road He added that civic officials told them to approach the police saying they cannot deploy a vehicle after 7 pmldquoAfter the Supreme Courtrsquos direction cities like Bangalore implemented hawkersrsquo policy but in Mumbai even after eight years it is still on the paper The political leaders and administrative officers are not willing to implement it as there is a big nexus involved If the policy is implemented the BMC will earn revenue in crores and the roads will be clear They can also save the manpower and machinery required for actionrdquo said Anil Galgali an activistldquoWersquove started taking stringent action against hawkers and sent notices to the private premises who gave them protection during the action Even we deny giving their goods if they are found in repeated offences As a result the area is much more walkable nowrdquo said Vinayak Vispute assistant commissioner of H west ward