In its zeal to clear out hawkers from the footpaths, the BMC appears to have torn down the wire fencing marking the boundary of a residential colony in Andheri. The residents say they have been left without protection, with any stranger now being able to enter the premises as and when they please. Naturally, they are fearful, as this makes them more vulnerable to crime.

The civic authorities have been bulldozing through encroachments in the city. While their motives are laudable, and this will free up the footpaths and give citizens more space to walk, these drives must have vision and not be patchwork jobs. In the Andheri case, the residents paid the price for the demolition, while the hawkers have brazenly returned to the same spot, making it an exercise in futility.