Plastic makes a comeback at Gariahat, mayor sees red
Times of India | 24 November 2024
Kolkata: Mayor Firhad Hakim on Saturday asked the civic officials to ensure that no hawkers start using plastic at the major hawking zones.
The instruction came at the ‘Talk to Mayor' session when a citizen complained that plastic was staging a comeback at the Gariahat hawking hub. Hakim expressed surprise at this and asked the civic officials what was the purpose of a venture that was replacing plastic or torn clothes from the back of the stalls if some hawkers still allow their stalls to be covered with plastic. "Plastic is choking the city. We need to keep all our hawking hubs plastic-free. I will request the Gariahat hawkers to refrain from using plastic as it is not only eyesore, it actually damages the environment," said Hakim.
According to a KMC official, the civic body had allowed hawkers in Hatibagan, New Market and Gariahat to use plastic materials to cover their wares during the monsoon. "Now we have decided to conduct surprise drives along with cops and if we find plastic, we will not only seize these materials but penalize the errant hawkers," said a KMC official.
Hawker unions have also been asked by the civic brass to cooperate with KMC and cops. According to Debraj Ghosh, a hawker union leader in Gariahat, the union had categorically asked its members not to use any plastic for covering their stalls as a beautification project was underway. "I have noticed that some hawkers in Gariahat have started using plastic again. I have asked them to remove them, else the cops will be compelled to act against them," Ghosh said on Saturday.