Bombay High Court Urges Drastic Measures for Unauthorised Hawkers

The Bombay High Court has questioned why streets and footpaths can be cleared for VVIPs but not for the general public. Emphasizing that safe walking spaces are a fundamental right, the court urged state authorities to take drastic measures against unauthorized hawkers. The matter will be heard again on July 22.

The Bombay High Court has raised a significant query: If streets and footpaths can be cleared for the Prime Minister and other VVIPs, why can't the same be done for the general populace every day?

Pointing out that clear footpaths and safe walking areas are fundamental rights, a division bench of Justices M S Sonak and Kamal Khata emphasized that state authorities are duty-bound to provide these facilities to citizens. The court critiqued the state's perpetual indecision on dealing with the problem of unauthorized hawkers encroaching on footpaths and demanded drastic action.

The high court took suo motu cognizance of the issue last year and stressed that more substantial measures need to be implemented by civic bodies and state authorities. Senior counsel S U Kamdar, representing BMC, admitted that vendors and hawkers tend to return even after periodic actions are taken. The court suggested the creation of a database to track and identify these vendors to prevent recurrent infringements. Further discussions are slated for July 22.

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