Target illegal hawkers to curb spread of diseases: BJP group leader

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation should take action against illegal hawkers to further help curb the spread of diseases such as dengue, said Manoj Kotak, the Bharatiya Janata Party's BMC group leader in a letter to civic chief Sitaram Kunte.

The BMC has been implementing the union government's Swachcha Bharat Abhiyan. As part of the drive, the civic body has warned shopkeepers that their licenses will be revoked if piles of trash are found in front of their shops. The corporation has also put up posters warning private citizens of prosecution if mosquito breeding sites are found in their homes.

While BJP has welcomed the civic body's actions, it has, however, said targeting shopkeepers only will not help achieve the target of cleanliness as expected in the Swaccha Bharat Abhiyan.

"The drive can be implemented effectively only when BMC takes action against hawkers. The number of illegal hawkers and eatery owners has gone up steeply. The corporation must chalk out a plan to act against illegal vendors/eatery owners to curb cases of dengue and other diseases," says Kotak's letter to civic chief Kunte.

As part of the Abhiyan drive, the BMC recently carried out a survey of city restaurants and shops to check their levels of cleanliness. Those that are found unclean stand to lose their licenses. Also, BMC has been serving notices to people in case they are found responsible for mosquito breeding. The notices are being served under section 381 A and B of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, 1888. The sections say that the BMC can haul offenders before a metropolitan magistrate, who can fine them an amount between Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 5,000.