The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is preparing to initiate a new eviction campaign against unlawful hawkers who are encroaching upon roads near the New Market area after the Chhath festival. Civic authorities informed that the action follows weeks of unabashed encroachment during the festival season.
A senior KMC official, also a member of the Town Vending Committee (TVC), stated that the civic authorities had granted interim relaxations to hawkers ahead of Durga Puja. "We offered relaxations to hawkers in the New Market area before Durga Puja. Now, as the festivities are getting over, we need to get tough with those still encroaching on streets and pavements," the official added.
Encroachment returns after festive relaxation
The Times of India on Monday visited the area and stated that mass encroachments were seen along the New Market area. On Humayun Place, at least five rows of hawkers, one on the sidewalk and four overrunning onto the road, took up over half of the 30-foot-wide road. Two 15 ft by 10 ft stalls for toys were prominently placed, and others sold scarves, pyjamas and trinkets, they stated in their report.
A similar scenario was witnessed from Bertram Street, where three to four lines of bag hawkers occupied almost 10 ft of the road. Vehicles parked in the area were being utilised as impromptu display counters, with very few parking spots left for use.
Earlier last year, the area had been briefly cleared by a joint operation of KMC, TVC and the police, taking back road space and restoring parking lots. Shopowners of New Market, Shreeram Arcade, Treasure Island and Bertram Street had then expected the clean-up to attract back customers frightened by the clogging. But relief was short-lived as hawkers later returned to reoccupy the streets.
Call for action and accountability
Hawker Sangram Committee president and TVC member Saktiman Ghosh added that the KMC and police need to act in sync to prevent re-encroachment. He also called for official accountability. "Often, we talk about the immunity of hawkers who face eviction from the streets. But now we need to point a finger at cops and a section of civic officials who have repeatedly failed to provide a shield to genuine hawkers and can't prevent encroachment of carriageways by ghost hawkers," Ghosh said. According to a Times of India report, a top Kolkata Police officer confirmed that the force is ready to assist KMC during the post-Chhath eviction drive.
