The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started marking hawking pitches in Borivali and Gorai as the first step in implementing its hawking policy. While the pitches have been approved by the zonal committee, the BMC will need approval from the head committee before hawkers are allotted the space.
The Supreme Court has directed civic bodies to implement the Street Vendors Act and create town vending committees. As mandated, the BMC has formed a town vending committee for the city and seven zonal ones.
The BMC had published a list of 85,000 hawking pitches in January based on a 2014 survey. The list had drawn criticism, but since the BMC is revisiting the entire process, it republished the list and invited suggestions. The list is being scrutinised at the zonal level, while hawkers are simultaneously being issued licences. Once this is complete, they will be allotted pitches through a lottery system.
By Tuesday, the BMC had marked around 600 pitches in Borivali and Gorai, at Bhattad Road, Lokmanya Tilak Road, Chandvarkar Road and Devidas Road.
“The zonal committee has sanctioned 2,500 pitches measuring 1m x 1m, and hawkers will be allotted those in shifts. Separate pitches will be marked for persons with disabilities as well,” Ramakant Biradar, Assistant Municipal Commissioner, R Central Ward, said. Mr. Biradar’s ward has identified about 500 eligible hawkers.
The BMC has also specified the commodities that can be sold in each area. For instance, vendors near schools can only sell fruits and not cooked food.
About 1,500 pitches have also been finalised in Andheri (West), which require a final approval from the head committee. A meeting regarding this has been scheduled for October 5.
Deputy Municipal Commissioner Nidhi Choudhari, in a tweet on Monday, said, “I hope Mumbai will support regulated street vending and once vending areas are marked, even hawkers will be protected from eviction.”