BMC evicts 450 hawkers from Colaba Causeway

Local Press Co 5-point Snippet

1. Following the massive fire that gutted the Metro House building in Colaba on June 2, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has evicted almost 80 percent of hawkers at Colaba causeway, deeming their operation a ‘fire hazard’.

2. The Colaba Causeway is amongst the most popular shopping destinations among foreign travellers and a must-visit site according to most travel journals for the city. The list of items sold range from fashion accessories to cheap electronic items.

3. However, over the past few years, there has been a boom in the business and hundreds of illegal hawkers have cropped up along the kilometer long stretch. According to BMC data, only 105 hawkers had the necessary licences whereas the remaining 450 odd were operating illegally.

4. The BMC has therefore evicted all 450 vendors from the area and barred them from setting up shops. The civic body has also marked down the boundaries of those operating legally.

5. While local residents have welcomed the move as there is more space for pedestrians to walk, the shop owners are crying foul over BMC’s harsh action which is likely to affect the livelihood of hundreds of families. The hawkers are also miffed about the fact that the civic body took the action despite knowing that they were not responsible for the fire.