[From Our Correspondent]
Mumbai: In a significant show of administrative resolve, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani personally stepped out onto the streets on Monday to oversee the ongoing crackdown on illegal hawkers and unauthorised constructions that have long plagued the city’s roads and footpaths.
The BMC has been conducting a sustained drive across Mumbai in compliance with court orders, targeting encroachments on roads, footpaths, and public spaces. A recurring challenge has been that hawkers return to occupy the same spots the very next day after civic action is taken — a pattern that has become all too common.
On Monday, Commissioner Gagrani carried out a ground inspection of the area outside Dadar West railway station, where he also interacted directly with local residents to understand the problems they face due to rampant encroachments and illegal vending.
Speaking during the inspection, the Commissioner stated that the BMC has launched a comprehensive plan to free Mumbai from illegal hawkers and encroachments. He emphasised that this initiative is not merely a punitive exercise, but is equally aimed at preserving civic order and protecting the rights of pedestrians to use footpaths freely and safely.
Gagrani noted that Mumbai’s growing population, worsening traffic congestion, and encroached footpaths have made it increasingly difficult for pedestrians to walk on the streets. In response, the BMC has rolled out its “Illegal Hawker-Free Roads and Footpaths” scheme, under which key roads, narrow footpaths, spaces beneath flyovers, and areas around hospitals, schools, and railway premises are being cleared and restored for public use.
The Commissioner, however, was careful to clarify that the administration has no intention of snatching away the livelihoods of street vendors. The BMC, he said, is also working to ensure that eligible and registered hawkers can continue to earn their living within the framework of existing rules, and that their rights remain protected under the law.
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