Video: Hawkers caught using open gutter as storage in Vikhroli
Hawkers were using an open gutter on LBS Road in Vikhroli to store items (screengrabs from video)
A shocking video showing two hawkers using an open gutter as storage in Mumbai’s Vikhroli area is going viral on social media.
The video, purportedly shot by and first shared by a Twitter user named Manish, shows a youngster standing inside the nullah on a footpath running alongside LBS Road, near Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) in Vikhroli West.
In the video, the unidentified hawker can be seen removing a large container, typically used for storing food items or raw materials, and a stove from the gutter and handing it to his accomplice waiting outside.
The video ends with the second person walking away with the stove to the area where the duo likely sets up shop.
The city is home to thousands of illegal hawkers who often come up with unique ways of hiding their goods to prevent seizure at the hands of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials.
Although hygiene is a common issue with hawkers, they survive as unsuspecting customers seldom know how exactly the food or drink they consume is being handled.
However, using a part of the drainage system as storage amplifies the risks associated with consuming roadside food due to the high possibility of exposure to insects, rodents or air-borne germs.
When contacted, an official from S-Ward refused to comment on the practice but added that the video/location will be verified and appropriate action, including filing an FIR, will be taken against the hawkers.
Back in February, a similar video showing hawkers storing vegetables in an underground gutter adjacent to the footpath near Jawaharlal Nehru Road in Vakola, Santacruz East had come to light.
After civic officials were apprised of the video, a team from H-East ward visited the spot and took action against the hawkers. Those who were found using the gutters as storage were booked and their items seized.
