Evicted hawkers return to reclaim Chandni Chowk roads, pavements
Times of India | 12 December 2024
Kolkata: After Bertram Street and Humayun Place in the New Market area, KMC is now struggling to keep up with constant hawker encroachment in and around Chandni Chowk. These hawkers were removed from the area four months ago after a survey. According to a KMC source, members of the Town Vending Committee want immediate intervention of mayor Firhad Hakim to clear carriageways.
According to a fresh survey by the committee, over 150 hawkers who were removed from areas in and around the Chandni Chowk market area, including Chandni Chowk Street, Temple Street, Lenin Sarani and Madan Street, have returned. "The return of hawkers in the New Market area has paved the way for fresh encroachment in the Chandni Chowk area. In the absence of police action, the situation is going from bad to worse. If cops don't act now, it will be too late to stop hawkers in other central and north Kolkata areas from taking over sizable chunks of the carriageways and a lion's share of the pavements," said Debasish Saha, a hawker union leader and a TVC member.
Mohammed Jahir, who sells readymade garments on Chandni Chowk Street, conceded that a section of hawkers who were ousted had started coming back. "We have been compelled to grab portions of the carriageway out of desperation as we had no options but to make both ends meet," said Jahir.
Electronic goods seller Vinod Shaw pointed out that the hawkers were being forced to take over roads as the pavements in and around Chandni Chowk were being taken over by a section of traders to stack their wares. "While we are being targeted by KMC and cops for encroaching on the roads and pavements, they are not even warning traders who have been taking over the pavement space, forcing us on to the carriageways," complained Shaw.
According to a TVC member, if the cops from the local New Market police station fail to clear the carriageways around Chandni Chowk, the apex committee for regulating hawking might seek assistance from the city police headquarters to conduct proper anti-encroachment drives. "Under the present circumstances, when hawkers are getting back to areas from where they were evicted, carriageways across the city will get heavily encroached upon once again," said the TVC member.
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