KMC to slice off 5ft-plus pavements to keep hawkers away, says mayor
Times of India | 21 June 2025
1234 Kolkata: The KMC has decided to slice off the width of city's pavements to stop illegal hawkers from setting up stalls on the footpath. Reacting to a complaint of encroachment of pavements around Northern Park, mayor Firhad Hakim on Friday told civic officials to survey pavement width. "If any pavement, more than 5-foot wide, is found being heavily encroached upon, we will reduce the width and widen the adjacent road," said Hakim.A civic official said after hawking zones, KMC had set its focus on market areas for a pushback drive. The exercise is also being extended to neighbourhoods. KMC market department officials have been directed to coordinate with local cops and councillors and ensure no vegetable, fruit or fish vendor sits on any part of pavements or roads. Some of the market areas, where the KMC will first issue warning and then, launch the drive, include Maniktala, Hatibagan, College Street, Ultadanga, Koley Market, Gariahat Market, Taltala Market, Jadubabur Bazar, Lansdowne, Lake Market and Behala Market."We have instructed our market department inspectors to keep an eye on hawkers taking over pavements near major markets. Market inspectors and solid waste management department workers will first ask such vendors to free up the pavements. If they don't fall in line, we will conduct a pushback," said an official. The civic market wing has teamed up with cops in some places and launched a campaign to remove stalls from roads. "We have initiated a drive in Bowbazar, Sealdah, Taltala, Bhowanipore, Behala and Tollygunge areas to push hawkers away from the carriageways. We will soon extend it to other market areas," said an official.KMC senior officials have entrusted councillors with the job of keeping a watch on residential neighbourhoods, which have also started to witness a growing number of sellers putting up stalls on footpath. "We can't sit idle and need to act fast to prevent fresh encroachments," said a KMC solid waste management department official. Some of the areas which have been witnessing a spurt in new hawkers starting business on pavements as well as roads include Burrabazar, BBD Bag, BB Ganguly Street, SN Banerjee Road, Elgin Road, Rashbehari Avenue, Behala and Tollygunge-Jadavpur.Hakim reiterated on Friday that efforts were on to regulate hawking. "We have told police that under no circumstances should pedestrians suffer due to encroachment of roads and pavements by hawkers. We will take action against illegal hawking," he said.