A Draft Colaba Correspondent
Following
The Draft Colaba's coverage on 22 February 2020
'Colaba Firemen Save A Crow', on 27 February 2020 at 9.00 am, arrived a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Van accompanied by a Police Van to evict unauthorised hawkers from the zone. The impact followed the publication of the issue of illegal hawkers and the concurrent problems of pedestrian and vehicular movement in the zone.
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| BMC officials impounding wares from illegal hawkers |
Within moments, the area around Colaba Market's Hanuman Mandir was swarmed by BMC officials who spread out to unauthorised hawkers - chai tapris, snack stalls even others selling kitchen ware on the road - and impounded their wares, tables and cooking/storing implements and vessels.
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| A BMC Van with workers in action |
In an operation that lasted for about 15 minutes, the entire zone was cleared of hawkers and the subsequent crowding that followed leaving the place free of encroachment and open to vehicular and pedestrian movement.
If only the BMC staff continued with their action on a persistent basis, the zone would be free of hawkers. Sadly, at the area in question lies a police chowky in the midst of the hawker imbroglio. Ironically, it is bang outside the police chowky that reside unauthorised Pardhi hawkers with their infants in tow.
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| The BMC action caused a flurry among hawkers in the zone |
Almost every second day, reportedly, the Homeless Children Van arrives to whisk away the 'homeless' Pardhi infant only to be fetched back by their 'homeless' parents. And all this, at the cost of the tax-payer. The BMC's swift action, following our reportage, is a commendable start to resolution of an issue that needs a more permanent solution.
