Showers and Chaitra sale bring plastic sheets back to Gariahat

KOLKATA: The ongoing Chaitra sale and a spell of heavy showers have facilitated the return of plastic sheets at Gariahat and other hawking districts in the city, less than three months since they were banned by the civic authorities after a fire broke out at a building on Gariahat crossing. Mayor Firhad Hakim had announced a ban on the use of plastic sheets at hawking stalls after the building that housed two popular sari shops — Traders Assembly and Adi Dhakeswari Bastralaya — went up in flames on January 20.

The move had initially worked as Gariahat hawkers replaced their plastic shades with bedsheets and sacks. But in less than three months, the move has been reversed. Hawkers said they had tried to abide by the norms, but the back-to-back spells of heavy shower and squall forced them to go back to the old ways. “Instructed by our union leaders, I had pulled down my plastic shade and had put up bedsheets to protect my shop just like my fellow hawkers. But the first spell of squall and rain damaged several of my dress materials and garments. There was another squall the next day and I put up the plastic sheet again,” said Jagannath Das, a hawker at Gariahat market.


Another hawker, Lalit Naskar, said that since the Chaitra Sale is on, they have stacked their shops with wares worth several lakhs and couldn’t take the chance of putting up unsafe bedsheets and risk the goods getting wet and damaged. “Businesswise, this is the busiest time of the year for any hawker. The shops are stacked with goods worth several lakhs. Hence, we have allowed them to use the plastic shade till the rains are over. Once the monsoon is gone, we will ensure the plastic shades are off again,” said Debraj Ghosh, the secretary of Gariahat Indira Hawkers’ Union.



The police investigation into the January 20 fire had revealed that the blaze had started from a small spark, but spread after it came in contact with the plastic sheets covering the hawking stalls. None was arrested in the case and the hawkers had started trickling back four days later, even when most residents of the building were still homeless. TOI reported on Wednesday that one of the gutted shops — Traders Assembly — could open for business only this week, but Adi Dhakeshwari Bastralaya is yet to reopen. At least three residents of the building are yet to get back home as well.

Worried about the plastic sheets being back, the building residents wondered if the fire-hazard will ever be taken care of. “Two hawkers on the left-most corner of the building had begun putting up the plastic shade three weeks after the fire. When I complained, they started putting up the plastic in the morning and removing it when the shops closed. But for the past week, they have stopped removing the plastic sheets altogether,” said Rathindranath Samajpati, a first-floor resident of the building.

The state had notified the West Bengal Urban Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Rules 2018, which prohibit the use of tarpaulin or any other inflammable material. “Any structure with tarpaulin or any other inflammable article shall not be allowed,” the rules state.

A senior official of the KMC market department said the elections have thwarted sustained drives against plastic, but assured that the drive would begin in full force after the election. “We had asked all police stations across the city to oversee the plastic-removal process. It was done and our teams had taken up sustained drives to ensure that plastic shades were off all temporary shops. But the election has thwarted the pace. The drives will begin in full force once the elections are over,” the official added.