Mumbai: Hawk-and-scoot gang takes over Ghatkopar, too

Vehicles move in a file on MG Road as illegal hawkers fill the area, in Ghatkopar on Friday evening. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Shopkeepers and citizens in Ghatkopar West are at their wits' end as illegal hawkers continue to multiply in the suburb. They say unauthorised street vendors have encroached upon the footpaths of the bustling station road and spread to a radius of 3 km, including MG Road and Khot Lane. A few weeks ago, illegal hawkers had assaulted a member of a shop owners' association in Chembur, angering shopkeepers from across the city.

Locals said the number of illegal hawkers selling clothes, footwear, food items and other household goods has increased in recent times, forcing them to walk on the busy road. Bhavni Mehta, who lives at Cama Lane, said she doesn't face hawker menace near her home but walking back home from Ghatkopar station in the evening is quite exhausting. "You have no choice but to walk on the roads and there are auto drivers who drive recklessly along with buses and two-wheelers. So you have to be cautious with that as well," said the 24-year-old. There is no escape from the daily risks, she rued.

Also read: Agent gayab as Thane cops give him long rope

Last week, mid-day had reported how a breed of new-age hawkers had surfaced in Borivli. These vendors carry no cart or storage, making it a near-impossible task for the authorities to catch them. The shop owners said their customers find it difficult to access their shops because of the hawkers, who are doing brisk business.

Jatin Shah, 50, said he is used to hawkers but the situation is worsening. Shah, who lives in Chirag Nagar, says when the road is empty, he takes about 7 minutes to reach home. "The main problem is the traffic caused due to these hawkers," he adds. "Thursday and Sunday are the days when the roads are busiest and most crowded," he said.

The scene on MG Road in Ghatkopar West on Friday evening. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Even though shops are closed on Thursdays in Ghatkopar West, there is no respite for commuters. "There is no space to walk even on roads at all," said Shah, adding that traffic congestion extends from Neo Welcome Hotel all the way till MG Road. Getting an auto from the station becomes a task due to excessive traffic, worsened by illegal hawkers.

Several shopkeepers refused to come on record fearing a backlash from the illegal roadside vendors. A lot of them blamed the BMC for the mess. The illegal hawkers have also spread to the Ghatkopar East-West bridge which is above the railway tracks. They barely leave any space for pedestrians.

The owners of Central Stores, a grocery shop on MG road, are equally frustrated. "I have to fight with them daily to ensure that they don't put their stalls in front of my shop." Fighting to ward off the hawkers has become part of their daily routine. "Politicians and officers are hungry [for money] and that is why no action is taken," they said.

Local activist Sachin Manjrekar said it's futile to file complaints. "I had filed a complaint last year. The BMC comes and takes action and there are no hawkers for that day or the next but then they are back once again. These hawkers have their own ‘dadagiri'," he said. Some shop owners are not worried. They said hawkers don't hit their business as they have a loyal customer base.

However, there are a few shops that are a part of the menace. Their staffers grab space on the footpath and the road to sell their wares. These shop owners declined to speak to mid-day. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court had ruled that local bodies must ensure that illegal hawkers and encroachers aren't allowed within 150 metres of railway stations.

We do take action: BMC

Sanjay Sonawane, the assistant municipal commissioner of N-ward, said they are committed to reining in illegal hawkers on the station road and areas like Khot Lane and MG Road. "We have ensured that there are no hawkers on the station road as we are aware that the road gets crowded. We have deployed a few vans in that area to ensure that no hawkers are present," he said.

On Thursday evening, mid-day found the area flooded with hawkers and it was difficult to walk on the footpath. "We have taken action [regarding the hawker problem] earlier and will take action again," said Sonawane. On Friday evening, he also shared a few pictures saying there were barely any hawkers. But locals and shopkeepers insisted hawkers continue to be a recurring nuisance.

03
Radius in km that the hawkers have spread to