07 December,2009 09:16 AM IST | | Varun Singh
Over the weekend, the Dadar station foot overbridge was kept hawker-free to make way for lakhs of Dr Ambedkar followers going to Chaityabhoomi at Shivaji Park. Now, residents say...
On a regular day it takes between 10 and 15 minutes to walk a half kilometre distance from Dadar (east to west) over the foot overbridge. But on Saturday and Sunday, it took just five minutes and less.
Residents claim that the bridge has nearly 70 hawkers at any given time, but yesterday, on Mahaparinirvan Diwas, the death anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar, the hawkers were absent.
"According to residents, the BMC officials asked hawkers to stay away for two days.
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They now claim that if the BMC can manage to keep the bridge hawker-free for two days, then they can do it all through the year," said Arun Sapkal, a social activist from Dadar.
Added a resident, "There is a nexus between BMC officials and hawkers and we feel that if the BMC has the will, they can certainly keep hawkers away.
Since they get a big cut from the hawkers, they don't want to take any action."
Why the Rush?
On Dr B R Ambedkar's death anniversary lakhs of Ambedkar followers come to Shivaji Park and pay their homage at the Chaityabhoomi.
This year the BMC erected two pandals measuring nearly 3 lakh sq ft and erected more than 500 mobile toilets around Shivaji Park.
The Other Side
We do take action against the hawkers regularly. Our anti-encroachment squad visits the bridge every, day but the hawkers flee to the platforms, the moment they spot us and that falls in the jurisdiction of the GRP.u00a0
Sudhir Naik, Deputy municipal commissioner
There are three bridges in our jurisdiction and they all are free of hawkers. The foot overbridge belongs to the BMC and we can do nothing there.u00a0
Shivaji Shinde, senior inspector, Dadar GRP
Voices
I used the bridge on Saturday and was surprised to see there wasn't a single hawker there. The bridge actually looked spacious and I could reach my shop early.
The BMC should ensure that it remains hawker-free every day.
Kunal Gala (25)
Owner of garment shop in Dadar
I rarely take that bridge because of the hawker menace. If the BMC has managed to keep the bridge free of hawkers for two days, they should work towards keeping it the same way all days of the year.u00a0
Varadraj Bhat (35)
Accountant who works in Dadar
10 Lakh
The number of commuters who use the Dadar overbridge every day
2,000
The number of BMC staff who serviced Chaityabhoomi and surrounding areas this weekend
