Three weeks after a blaze that consumed Metro House at Colaba, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has finally allowed 101 hawkers to take their designated spots on the footpaths of the Colab
Three weeks after a blaze that consumed Metro House at Colaba, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has finally allowed 101 hawkers to take their designated spots on the footpaths of the Colaba Causeway. Meanwhile, about a 100 others have decided to take the BMC to court, over its decision to ban them, despite the fact that they do not have BMC-issued licences to conduct business on the streets.
Confirming the hawkers’ decision to take the BMC to court, Rammurti Patel, a hawker, said, “We are all businessmen, but we do not get treated that way despite the Supreme Court orders to allow all hawkers — irrespective of their legality — to do business on streets till the town-vending committee comes up with a solution to the problem of excess hawkers on the street. The BMC is being unfair to us.”
Out of 400-odd hawkers who used to occupy the footpaths, the BMC allowed only 101 to continue with their business after the Metro House fire. The civic body rationalised this decision on the basis that it is clearing up the footpath for easy access to and exit from the buildings on the street, should another fire occur in the old structures.
Commenting on the matter, Kiran Dighavkar, assistant commissioner of the A ward said, “We are only lifting illegal hawkers off the street. The legal ones have been allotted spaces in a bid to organise them.”
Mr Dighavkar also said the ward office has also consistently received complaints from residents of this street about large crowds that gather for shopping, owing to excessive hawkers there. He said, “The hawkers have now decided to appeal in court, and wrote a letter to the ward office in this regard. Let the matter be taken to court. These hawkers do not have licences.”
Contrary to Mr Dighavkar’s claims, residents of the buildings on causeway support the hawkers. Asha Lobo , a resident of Janki House in the locality, said, “The street is famous for its shopping. What is the point of banning hawkers It will take away causeway's identity.”
Harish Biragani, a representative of the hawkers who have licences, said, “We will support others if they decide to move court. This space belongs to everybody who wishes to do business here.”
