The BMC will now evict hawkers outside schools, hospitals and congested areas ward wise to make these areas spacious for pedestrians
After driving out hawkers from around railway stations, the Brihanmumbai Municipal corporation (BMC) has sought further help from the Mumbai police for taking ahead its hawker-eviction drives. The BMC will now evict hawkers outside schools, hospitals and congested areas civic ward wise to make these areas spacious for pedestrians.
"While taking strong and continuous action against the hawkers, the support of the police force is needed to maintain the law and order situation”, Nidhi Chaudhari, Deputy Municipal Commissioner- Removal of Encroachments told DNA.
The BMC is already holding meetings with the Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) seeking their support for the crackdown on hawkers in Mumbai. The ward offices are already taking police protection during their actions against the hawkers whereever needed, to prevent attacks by the hawkers. There have been several incidents in the past where the civic officers are attacked by protesting hawkers.
Chaudhari said, “Mumbai police have already deployed around 4,000 policemen for giving protection to BMC several drives like demolition of slums along Tansa pipeline, demolition of religious structures and for hawkers’ evictions. But, the DCP’s I held meetings with have agreed to provide more police force if needed. In such massive drives, which are in public interest, the BMC, Mumbai police, railway police and other agencies involved in the drives should work as one agencies”.
However, the main challenge the civic body faces is that the hawkers return to the locations where the drives are conducted. To avoid this, patrolling is necessary after eviction drives, which does not seem to take place. “BMC is action taking agency when it comes to removal of hawkers while the police are expected to patrol those locations to prevent re-occurrence of hawkers. But the police do not keep vigil and the hawkers put their stalls the next day. BMC can take action and evict hawkers, but patrolling the locations is not possible”, a Deputy Municipal Commissioner said.
Commenting on police support for removal of hawkers by BMC, Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) said, “Adequate Police protection will be provided as and when required for eviction of hawkers in the city”.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 6) Shahji Umap added, “We recently conducted our joint meeting of Mumbai police, Traffic Police and BMC. It is decided to provide more protection to BMC during their drive of evicting hawkers. We will co-ordinate for taking proper action”.
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