Mid Day Impact: Borivli road cleared of hawkers after state human rights body summons BMC commissioner

Nov 11: Bhaji Market Gully, which was taken over by hawkers, in Borivli West. File pic/Anurag Ahire

Following multiple reports by mid-day, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has initiated action in Borivli's Bhaji Market Gully, clearing it of hawkers and dismantling makeshift shops that had encroached on footpaths and roads since 2013. After mid-day's reports, the State Human Rights Commission took suo motu cognisance of the matter and issued summons to the BMC commissioner, demanding accountability for years of inaction despite repeated complaints from authorities and residents.

mid-day's coverage this month highlighted how hawkers had occupied the entire road, making it nearly impossible for pedestrians to walk or vehicles to pass. The situation had worsened to the point that BEST bus routes through Court Lane in the area had to be diverted, as confirmed in an affidavit filed by BEST with the human rights commission.

Nov 29: The stretch, which has been cleared by the authorities. Pic/Nimesh Dave

Resume BEST routes

Anand Bohite, DCP Zone 11, told mid-day, "As and when the BMC takes action, we will provide protection to their officers. The BMC acted on Friday, and police personnel were on-site to assist them."

He added, "We want BEST to resume services on this route soon to ensure these hawkers do not return."

BMC wants police patrol

Sandhya Nandedkar, assistant municipal commissioner of the R-Central Ward, told mid-day, "We took action today. Our main issue is that the day staff usually leaves by 8 pm, and the BMC vehicles also leave their assigned spots. The hawkers return after this time. I have requested additional night staff so that Bhaji Market Gully and the entire stretch of SV Road connecting Borivli station west can be continuously monitored."

She added, "In the meantime, I am also writing to the police, requesting them to patrol the area after our vehicles leave to prevent hawkers from returning."

The authorities demolish illegal structures on the road on Friday. Pics/Nimesh Dave

BEST's concerns

BEST officials, while thanking mid-day, said the resumption of routes through Bhaji Market lane would take some time. A senior BEST official from the Gorai Depot said, "I am aware that the BMC took action against the hawkers today, thanks to mid-day's report that made this possible. We will now submit a proposal to the management to resume services on this route."

The official added, "However, we need to monitor the situation to ensure hawkers do not return."

Ramesh Madvi, chief transport Manager of BEST, expressed concerns about restarting the routes. He said, "It will be difficult to resume services at short notice. We are currently facing a shortage of buses. The resumption of services depends on the delivery of new buses, for which we have already placed orders."

When asked about the existing buses running on diverted routes, he said, "Our priority is to increase the frequency of buses, as commuters are already facing long wait times. Restoring the original route is a complex challenge due to the long-standing nature of the issue."

When was action taken

The BMC initiated action at around 11.30 am on Friday, starting with the removal of hawkers from the road. Later, a JCB machine was brought in to demolish the makeshift shops. The operation was carried out by BMC officials with police protection. Approximately 20-25 police personnel were present at the site to ensure the safety of the officials. The entire operation lasted nearly five hours. However, the clearing faced some resistance as a few occupants of the makeshift shops were reluctant to vacate.

ResidentsSpeak

A resident, requesting anonymity, said, "It is good that the BMC has finally taken action, but this situation needs to be maintained in the future. If the hawkers return, we'll be back to square one. BEST should now restart services quickly, if they fail now, no one knows when it will be possible again to do so."

Shreyas Shinde, a regular commuter, told mid-day, "This came as a huge surprise. On my way home from work, I noticed the road was hawker-free. Initially, I thought there was some event or VIP movement causing the clearance. Later, I learned it was due to newspaper reports that prompted the BMC to act."

Another resident, also requesting anonymity, said, "I saw the article in mid-day today and didn't expect the road to actually be cleared. While there are still some hawkers on the footpath, the road itself is clear, and I even saw motorists using it. This has definitely eased the congestion."

11.30am
Time BMC initiated action on Friday