‘Hawkers to be shifted to multi-level car parking facility soon’

kolkata: To put an end to footpath spaces being grabbed by hawkers in the Salt Lake Sector V area, the Nabadiganta Industrial Township Authority (NDITA) is soon to start the process of relocating them to the ground floor of the multi-level car parking facility which can accommodate around 350 stalls.

Even as the Salt Lake and New Town areas are often termed as new Kolkata in terms of planning and infrastructure, certain problems, such as that of hawkers grabbing footpaths, have begun to plague these areas too.

The Salt Lake Sector V area which houses several big companies and educational institutions barely has any space left for pedestrians since most of the pavement space has now turned into food joints. However, there are varied reactions to this problem.

While a section of pedestrians complained about the shrinking pavement spaces forcing them to use the main road, leaving them vulnerable to road accidents, some feel these food stalls are a lifeline where they could grab a quick bite at a cheaper rate before having to rush back to their offices or colleges.A survey revealed, whether it’s the pavement space near College More or the long stretch of road towards Swasthya Bhavan, footpaths barely have any space left for pedestrians who are now exposed to vehicular traffic on the congested main road. An NDITA official said that the hawker problem exists throughout the country; be it in Kolkata, Mumbai or Delhi. “In central and south Kolkata, footpath spaces in New Market or Gariahat continue to remain occupied. The hawkers cannot be randomly removed. They also have a right to earn their living. However, in Sector V, we are trying to convince them to relocate to the ground floor of the multi-level car parking facility. There is space to accommodate around 350 stalls,” the official said.

Food vendors in Sector V who spoke to Millennium Post are reluctant to leave their space on the pavement and relocate elsewhere. Most of them said that their businesses took a hit during the Covid lockdown since most offices and colleges were shut in this industrial township. A tea and food vendor said his business has started to pick up pace only recently and that losses incurred during the lockdown forced him to sell his cooking wares.

“Now, I sell half the number of items that I used to sell prior to Covid, Shifting elsewhere will destroy us,” he said.

The NDITA official said: “We are not rushing with the process. Talks are now being held with hawkers who can afford to and are ready to relocate. They are not being asked to relocate to a remote location. The multi-level car parking facility is located in Sector V. So it should not be much of a problem.”