Hawking zones list goes against SC’s order, say Bandra residents

After the list demarcating hawking and no-hawking zones in Bandra (West) was made public, members of various citizens and Advanced Locality Management (ALM) groups on Friday gathered at the local ward office to demand the immediate scrapping of the list.

After the list demarcating hawking and no-hawking zones in Bandra (West) was made public, members of various citizens and Advanced Locality Management (ALM) groups on Friday gathered at the local ward office to demand the immediate scrapping of the list.

According to residents, the demarcated zones are not in accordance with the Supreme Court’s orders. “We were shocked to know that 17th Road in Bandra has been marked as a hawking zone. It is an arterial road and has five schools. As per the Supreme Court’s order, hawkers cannot be given space near schools, hospitals and religious premises,” said Anandini Thakoor, chairperson, H-West Residents’ Federation, an umbrella body of citizen groups in H-West ward.

In Bandra (West), 50 hawking zones – including KC Marg, Turner Road, Hill Road, St John Baptist Road, Chimbai Village, Rajan Sherly Road and Pali Hill Road, among others – and 42 no-hawking zones have been marked on various footpaths and roads. Pali Hill Road residents will protest on Sunday against demarcating their area as a hawking zone.

Bandra residents will now send in their suggestions and objections to the ward office on the locations allotted for the 1,934 hawkers along the Bandra-Khar belt. “We have agreed to take suggestions from residents, as there has been opposition from a few residents’ associations. This is a proposed hawking zone list and requires permissions from various departments before being finalised,” said an official from the H-West ward, requesting anonymity.