Hawkers shift but keep littering Grand arcade; pedestrians, shoppers peeved
Times of India | 5 February 2024
Kolkata: Hawkers have moved out of two-thirds of the pavement at Grand arcade. But their overarching presence continues to bear down on people walking through it or shops situated there, be it in the raucous manner in which the hawkers sell their wares or the way they litter the walkway with discarded paper and plastic.
Pedestrians and shoppers said while they were relieved to see hawkers moved to one side of the pavement at the arcade and two-third of the walkway freed up for movement, it was sad to see it littered with plastic and paper.They also complained that the loud manner in which hawkers screamed to sell their wares was an assault on ear.
“The hawkers have vacated the space but continue to be an assault on the senses. Can’t they do business in a manner that doesn’t affect others? Why do they have to chuck plastic and paper and dirty the Arcade of a heritage property in this manner?” asked Rahul Ganguly, who works in an office on Lindsay Street and passes the area twice a day.
A KMC conservancy department staffer, who cleans the area, said the littering by the hawkers used to happen always but was now distinctly visible as two-thirds of the Arcade had been cleared of hawkers. “Earlier, the litter could not be seen as the 4-5 ft space between the hawker stalls on either side would be crowded,” he said.
The staff at Oberoi Grand said managing the litter was becoming a challenge as wind blew them into the hotel’s driveway through the gates. “We try to pick up and dispose of the plastic that comes our way. But if the stalls advance further towards the entry and exit gates, it will be a huge challenge,” a staffer said.
TVC member Ashok Chakraborty acknowledged that hawkers’ rights went hand-in-hand with responsibilities. “Just as we try to protect hawkers’ right to livelihood, we must ensure that in exercising the right, hawkers do not trample on others’ rights. Littering or hawking in a manner that disturbs others is not warranted,” he said.