Kolkata: Twenty-four hours after the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) razed brick structures near a shopping centre, Shreeram Arcade, at Humayun Place to widen the pavement for hawkers, the carriageway was not encroachment-free on Sunday. The yellow line drawn at Humayun Place around two weeks ago has also faded in some parts of the pavement.
On Sunday, TOI found that the debris of the brick structures – constructed earlier for tree plantation – had not been removed completely.The pavement’s extended parts were encroached upon by hawkers’ belongings, benches of a food stall and two-wheeler parking.
Gopal Khatua, who has been running a bhelpuri stall opposite the shopping centre for the last 38 years, said, “Though the brick structures have been pulled down to make space for hawkers within the yellow line, the place needs to be cleaned properly. Till afternoon on Sunday, the KMC-appointed workers removed some parts of the debris while the rest needs to be cleared. However, we don’t know which hawkers would be allowed to shift to the space that was carved out after the demolition of the brick enclosures.”
Several bikes and scooterettes were found parked on the vacant space where the brick enclosures were situated earlier. Shah Alam, who shifted his food centre at Humayun Place after the devastating fire at New Market in 1986, said, “The shopping centre being closed on Sunday, some flying hawkers randomly come here and place their dalas. Both shoppers and sellers have parked their two-wheelers on the space where hawkers are supposed to keep their wares or stalls to fall in the yellow line. For this, two or three trees may need to be uprooted.”
Earlier, some hawkers used to keep their articles on the garden, the exterior walls of which have been pulled down. On Sunday those hawkers were still continuing to use the space to keep their belongings. Kali Das Sao, a cosmetics seller, said, “Till the KMC officially hands over the pavement space to us, we will continue doing business on the carriageway by crossing the yellow line. It will be difficult to fall in the yellow line until the new hawkers are removed from the road.” Chotu Sonkar, a member of Lindsay Street Hawker Union said, “There are several rules for old hawkers, but the new hawkers who are encroaching on a lion’s share of the road are exempted. A small portion of space has been carved out after razing the walls of the garden enclosures and hawkers will make a beeline to occupy that space.”
Sristidhar Ghosh, a shopkeeper, rued, “The entrance of my shop will be blocked if the hawkers move backward to free up the carriageway. ”
A KMC official said, “We are chalking out a plan to accommodate hawkers from the Humayun Place carriageway to the extended pavement after demolition of the brick structures.”
On Sunday, TOI found that the debris of the brick structures – constructed earlier for tree plantation – had not been removed completely.The pavement’s extended parts were encroached upon by hawkers’ belongings, benches of a food stall and two-wheeler parking.
Gopal Khatua, who has been running a bhelpuri stall opposite the shopping centre for the last 38 years, said, “Though the brick structures have been pulled down to make space for hawkers within the yellow line, the place needs to be cleaned properly. Till afternoon on Sunday, the KMC-appointed workers removed some parts of the debris while the rest needs to be cleared. However, we don’t know which hawkers would be allowed to shift to the space that was carved out after the demolition of the brick enclosures.”
Several bikes and scooterettes were found parked on the vacant space where the brick enclosures were situated earlier. Shah Alam, who shifted his food centre at Humayun Place after the devastating fire at New Market in 1986, said, “The shopping centre being closed on Sunday, some flying hawkers randomly come here and place their dalas. Both shoppers and sellers have parked their two-wheelers on the space where hawkers are supposed to keep their wares or stalls to fall in the yellow line. For this, two or three trees may need to be uprooted.”
Earlier, some hawkers used to keep their articles on the garden, the exterior walls of which have been pulled down. On Sunday those hawkers were still continuing to use the space to keep their belongings. Kali Das Sao, a cosmetics seller, said, “Till the KMC officially hands over the pavement space to us, we will continue doing business on the carriageway by crossing the yellow line. It will be difficult to fall in the yellow line until the new hawkers are removed from the road.” Chotu Sonkar, a member of Lindsay Street Hawker Union said, “There are several rules for old hawkers, but the new hawkers who are encroaching on a lion’s share of the road are exempted. A small portion of space has been carved out after razing the walls of the garden enclosures and hawkers will make a beeline to occupy that space.”
Sristidhar Ghosh, a shopkeeper, rued, “The entrance of my shop will be blocked if the hawkers move backward to free up the carriageway. ”
A KMC official said, “We are chalking out a plan to accommodate hawkers from the Humayun Place carriageway to the extended pavement after demolition of the brick structures.”