Bombay High Court Pushes for Swift Action Against Hawkers in Mumbai's Most Congested Areas

Bombay High Court, Mumbai:  In a landmark ruling, the Bombay High Court has ordered the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to take immediate and firm action against illegal hawkers across 20 of Mumbai’s most congested spots. This directive comes in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) highlighting the growing menace of hawker encroachment, which often clutters roads and impacts public space.

The 20 locations have been jointly identified by BMC and Mumbai Police as critical areas with heavy hawker presence. The bench, led by Justices A.S. Gadkari and Kamal Khata, stressed that the BMC’s previous claims of deploying vans to clear these spots must be followed through immediately. The targeted action will extend across some of Mumbai’s busiest regions, including areas around major stations, popular markets, and key roads.

Among the locations marked for immediate action are:

• CSMT Station to High Court (Flora Fountain)

• Churchgate Station to High Court

• Colaba Causeway

• Dadar (West, East, and TT)

• Lalbaugcha Raja

• Andheri (West and East)

• Malad West Station

• Borivali West

• Ghatkopar Station

• Linking Road (West)

• Mohammad Ali Road

• Hill Road, Bandra West

• LBS Road

The High Court expressed grave concern over hawkers being tipped off about enforcement actions, resulting in hawkers fleeing before BMC vans arrive, only to return after the action ends. The court emphasized that an investigation into whether internal or external forces are facilitating such movements should be carried out.

The BMC has been reprimanded for its failure to comply with earlier court orders and for not filing necessary affidavits related to the case. In response to their negligence, the court imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the Superintendent of Licenses for non-compliance.

The move marks a significant step toward reclaiming public spaces from illegal hawking, with further plans expected to extend this action to other parts of Maharashtra in the future.