BMC to begin drive against illegal parking, hawkers

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned to keep vigil during the coming festive season. HT reports.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has planned to keep vigil during the coming festive season.

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Next week onwards, the BMC’s encroachment removal (RE) department will begin a special drive against illegal hawkers and illegal parking especially at places such as Zaveri Bazaar and Dadar, which get crowded during the festival season.

“We will be more alert for the next 3-4 months,” said Chandrashekhar Rokde, deputy municipal commissioner, RE department. The drive will continue even during the night.

Following the bomb blasts in the city on July 13, the BMC short-listed 25 locations, which were highly congested, making surveillance difficult for the police. These have been tagged as being ‘zero tolerance’ areas for parking and hawkers.

Apart from the these blast sites, the list includes areas outside Kandivili, Borivli, Ghatkopar, Chembur railway stations and near Kurla, Andheri bus depots. Streets such as Fashion Street and khau gulli will also be under the scanner on a regular basis.

“Vehicles, which have parked for 4-5 days will be observed carefully,” said an official from RE department, on condition of anonymity. The department has increased its manpower from 650-700 people to over 1,000.