Drive to remove plastic sheets from hawker zones initiated in city

KOLKATA: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has initiated a full-scale drive against the removal of plastic sheets from hawker zones in the city.

The civic body conducted a drive at the busy Gariahat market in south Kolkata where plastic sheets over the hawker stalls were removed. It is learnt that the KMC had already intimated the hawkers to remove these and advised them to use a substitute material which is less hazardous and non-inflammable but it fell on deaf ears. A meeting will be convened on Monday to determine what can be cheaper and more sustainable material that can replace these plastic coverings.

Such drives will also be conducted soon at New Market and the Hatibagan Market. Mayor Firhad Hakim recently wrote to the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, Vineet Kumar Goyal, lamenting that despite repeated requests nothing was done to control the “hawker menace”. He wrote that the indiscriminate use of plastic sheets by the hawkers for covering their hawking areas and wares increases the possibility of fire hazards.

“Unfortunately we have not learned any lessons from the fire mishap that happened a few years ago at Gariahat. I apprehend the day is not far when we will face another incident of fire mishap because of unrestricted use of plastic sheets,” Hakim wrote.He further added that the role of police is not above criticism since the hawkers can’t sit on main thoroughfares without the knowledge and consent of local police authority. “I have requested you and other senior officers of Kolkata Police to take precautionary and drastic actions to stop such encroachment and the use of plastic sheets,” he stated.