HC asks 170 illegal hawkers to vacate Colaba Causeway

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Wednesday asked as many as 170 unlicensed hawkers to vacate from Colaba Causeway, bringing a major relief to the bustling south Mumbai street’s residents, who have been fighting to keep their pavements free for pedestrians.

The verbal order came after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) informed the court that there were only 83 licensed hawkers in the area, as opposed to the 253 claimed by the Colaba Causeway Tourism Hawkers Stall Union (CCTHSU).

The court asked the civic body to file an affidavit on the same and agreed to the CCTHSU’s request to give the unlicensed hawkers time till Monday to vacate. The court said it would sign the order on Monday.

The high court’s decision came after the Clean Heritage Colaba Residents’ Association (CHCRA) filed an intervention plea on March 20, seeking to be added as a party in an ongoing writ petition involving the CCTHSU. The residents’ association contended that there are only 79 licensed hawkers in the area. The court had then directed the BMC to verify the authenticity of the CCTHSU’s claim that there were 253 licensed hawkers.

Advocate Prerak Choudhary, representing CHCRA, said, “Eventually, the truth has come out. Residents have always been contending that most of the hawkers visible on pavements are not licensed. The BMC’s list showing only 83 hawkers as licensed has proved what the residents have been contending. This comes as a sigh of relief to the citizens who are waiting to walk on unobstructed pavements for long.”

Makarand Narwekar, former BJP corporator from Colaba, welcomed the development, terming it a significant relief to residents. He said that Colaba MLA Rahul Narwekar has allocated a fund of ₹2.5 crore to ensure that smart looking, modernised kiosks will be given to 83 authorised hawkers, which will keep all illegal hawkers at bay.