Ensure illegal hawkers do not return to Munirka area, HC tells police

A bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh, while hearing a plea by the Munirka Village residents’ welfare association, also asked the South Delhi Municipal Corporation to put up “no hawking” boards to indicate that squatting is not permitted in the area

The Delhi high court on Wednesday directed the Delhi Police to conduct daily drives to ensure that unauthorised vendors and hawkers ousted from Munirka area do not return.

The plea said hawkers have illegally occupied the road and pedestrian zones in and around Munirka Village and near the Munirka Metro station. (Picture for representation only)

A bench of justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh, while hearing a plea by the Munirka Village residents’ welfare association seeking to remove squatters from the area, also asked the south Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to put up “no hawking” boards to indicate that squatting is not permitted in the area.

“It is clear to us that the problem of continuous hawking and vending cannot be stopped as the unauthorised hawkers and vendors are stubborn and habituated. The menace can be solved by the police keeping a strict vigil through their beat constables and cordoning off the area where the vendors squat,” the court said.

“We direct the Delhi Police to ensure that unauthorised hawkers and vendors do not return on a daily basis. The SDMC must put up boards declaring the area to be “no hawking. no vending”. The DCP shall be personally responsible for compliance,” the bench said further said.

In its plea, the Munirka Village residents’ welfare association said hawkers have illegally occupied the road and pedestrian zones in and around Munirka Village and near the Munirka Metro station. The RWA representative also said incidents of snatching and harassment of women were common in the area due to crowding on footpaths.He told the court that they have written to all the authorities but no action has been taken.

During the hearing, advocate Rishikesh Kumar, appearing for the police, told the court that drives are conducted at regular intervals but the vendors keep returning.

To this, the court replied that orders have been passed by the Supreme Court stating that it is the responsibility of the police to remove unauthorised vendors from the area. It said there needs to be a different mechanism if the vendors keep returning, including barricading the area.

The police counsel said they will formulate some mechanism to barricade the area and also find other solutions to the problem.

“Please show some will and mark the entry and exit points to get the work done. It is not rocket science; you are not sending a rocket to Mars,” the court said.

The court asked the authorities to conduct more drives and submit fresh status reports. The matter will be next heard on January 17.