The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday carried out an eviction drive in the Kamathipura area of Mumbai, removing around 70 illegal hawkers and old scrap vendors from public spaces, officials said.
The action was taken as part of an anti-encroachment drives aimed at clearing unauthorised occupation of footpaths and streets, they said.
The drive covered several locations in Kamathipura, including Galli Nos. 1 to 15, Shuklaji Street, Shankar Pupala Marg, Siddharth Nagar and Bapti Road.
Officials said that the operation targeted vendors who were occupying public spaces without permission and causing obstruction to pedestrian movement.
Action under guidance of senior civic officials
The action was carried out under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner (Division-1) Chanda Jadhav and Assistant Commissioner Anand Kankal.
A total of 15 civic staff members were deployed along with adequate police presence to ensure smooth execution of the drive.
The civic body used five anti-encroachment vehicles, one JCB machine and other equipment during the operation. The encroachments were removed and the area was cleared under strict supervision.
Officials stated that such drives will continue in the future to maintain discipline and ensure public spaces remain free of encroachment.
Drive in south Mumbai
The action follows days after the BMC last week carried out an anti-encroachment drive along Maulana Shaukat Ali Road in south Mumbai, removing old furniture vendors and other obstructions that had narrowed footpaths and disrupted pedestrian movement.
Civic officials said the stretch between Murli Deora Eye Hospital and the JJ Hospital junction had witnessed persistent encroachments, forcing pedestrians to walk on the carriageway and increasing the risk of accidents.
The operation was conducted jointly by the ward’s maintenance and anti-encroachment teams, with support from the Mumbai Police.
Furniture, debris removed
BMC officials said several furniture vendors had occupied large portions of the footpath, displaying and storing old furniture in a manner that obstructed public access. During the drive, civic teams used a JCB machine to dismantle and remove these encroachments. Items found on the footpath were cleared on the spot, and the debris was immediately transported away to prevent reoccupation.
In addition to furniture vendors, action was also taken against unauthorised hawkers operating along the stretch.
The Mumbai civic body stated that the clearance has improved both pedestrian accessibility and vehicular movement in the area.
