More khau gallis, night bazaars in south Mumbai

The guardian minister seeks to develop the tourism industry in the city with night bazaars. Representation pic

The city may soon have night bazaars with khau gallis in south Mumbai - one at Banganga and another at Fashion Street. When the plan is implemented, people can shop and enjoy street food until as late as midnight.

Mumbai City Guardian Minister Deepak Kesarkar, at a meeting of the District Planning Committee on Monday, suggested that the collector explore the possibility of a night bazaar at these areas. They also discussed tourism development in the city and creating employment. Mumbai City District Collector Rajiv Nivatkar said, "We are working on the plan. We will hold discussions with all the authorities concerned for better implementation."

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Meanwhile, the BMC is also exploring the idea of a night bazaar at Mohammed Ali Road. Assistant Municipal Commissioner of B ward Dhanaji Herlekar said, "We are working on the implementation. First, we need to ensure there is no disturbance to anyone because of the night bazaar. The concept should be implemented without disturbing the traffic or the residents. So, we need to fix a place where no one is affected."

Civic officials said the MVA government had pushed for nightlife before the pandemic, which was limited to a few places such as malls. But, the project was shelved due to the COVID-19 outbreak. "There is a provision of a night market and khau gallis in the hawker's policy for tourism development. There is a provision for the BMC to issue licences for the same. The hawkers should maintain safety and sanitation," an official said.