BMC writes to police to initiate legal action against hawkers encroaching Chandivali areas

The development comes after the Chandivali Citizens Welfare Association (CCWA) had over the past few months complained to BMC and police through letters and social media about illegal stalls selling shawarma using gas cylinders on footpaths

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) L ward, comprising areas of Chandivali, Sakinaka and Powai has written to the Sakinaka and Powai police stations requesting them to start registering FIRs on hawkers blocking footpaths.

BMC writes to police to initiate legal action against hawkers encroaching Chandivali areas

The development comes after the Chandivali Citizens Welfare Association (CCWA) had over the past few months complained to BMC and police through letters and social media about illegal stalls selling shawarma using gas cylinders on footpaths.

In its letter to the police on October 21, officials of the Removal of Encroachment (RE) department wrote that BMC had taken actions multiple times since August, hence, to keep the area under control, BMC requested the police to start registering FIRs on these hawkers.

“We have taken repeated action on the hawkers following complaints from CCWA, but they return. We now want the police to initiate legal action against the hawkers who block footpaths. We have written to them and will follow up,” said an official from the RE department of L ward. The association, which lodged various complaints with BMC on the chicken shawarma and momo stalls operating at seven different locations, said both police and BMC need to come together to tackle this issue.

Mandeep Singh Makkar, founder member, CCWA, said, “We keep receiving complaints from citizens on food stalls openly using gas cylinders on roads. While BMC has been removing these hawkers, they return in less than 30 minutes of BMC’s raid. The police now need to intervene. The health officials from BMC should also act.” Adding, “All seven shawarma stalls are operated by one man. So, it is not like these are poor people trying to make a living, but a proper business that runs on our footpaths.”

Meanwhile, BMC issued a press statement on Saturday evening about L ward and K-west ward (Jogeshwari West, Andheri West and Vile Parle West) acting on illegal hawkers in various areas under their wards.

The press note mentioned that actions were taken on various locations in the L ward like Nahar estate, D mart area and on hawkers at Chandivali mini fire station. BMC’s press statement also said the civic body this time was able to dodge the informers at JP road in Andheri West, and removed 68 unauthorised hawkers from the road.

Deputy commissioner of police for zone 10 Datta Nalawade said they will provide all possible support to the civic officer as per the request. Another senior official from Powai police said that they can not do much on the issue until the BMC’s higher officials from the operations department make an official request to the DCP (operations).