Hawkers at Kolkata Municipal Corporation HQ: The Calcutta High Court has once again turned its gaze on the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), pulling up the civic body for failing to keep its own doorstep free from hawker encroachment. At the heart of the issue lies the crowded stretch in front of the KMC headquarters on S.N. Banerjee Road—where hawkers have long occupied pavements despite repeated judicial orders.
During the latest hearing, the bench directed KMC to submit a detailed affidavit within 15 days. The court specifically sought updates on compliance with earlier directives, including the September 2023 order and a follow-up in May 2025 that instructed KMC to identify proper vending zones. Failure to provide clarity, the judges warned, could result in senior civic officials being summoned.
Lawyers representing public interest petitioners stressed that while orders have been issued consistently, the ground reality remains unchanged. KMC’s counsel admitted the difficulty of enforcement, pointing out that hawkers often return within hours of being evicted.
A Recent Flashpoint: Resistance on Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road
The tension between enforcement and livelihood is not confined to S.N. Banerjee Road. Only days ago, KMC, with police assistance, attempted to clear shanties on Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road near Prabhu Jishu Girja. About 35 structures were demolished. But within hours, locals staged a sit-in, accusing officials of sparing hawkers while targeting vulnerable families.
The selective nature of the drive fueled public anger, and residents physically blocked municipal trucks. The operation was suspended, exposing once again how fragile anti-encroachment initiatives are without holistic planning.
Ward councillor Sana Ahmed later assured citizens that hawkers, too, would face removal in the next round of enforcement. But the incident reinforced the perception that piecemeal actions lack both fairness and sustainability.
Kolkata’s Hawker Economy: A Double-Edged Reality
Street vending is not merely an inconvenience—it is a livelihood for tens of thousands of families. Kolkata is estimated to have over 55,000 hawkers, though fewer than 9,000 have ever complied with licensing norms or pavement usage rules.
The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 recognizes vending as a legitimate economic activity but also mandates balance: two-thirds of every pavement must be kept clear for pedestrians, while vending zones should be clearly demarcated.
Yet enforcement in Kolkata remains inconsistent. Hawker unions, political patronage, and lack of rehabilitation strategies often mean that eviction drives are either abandoned midway or quickly reversed. For pedestrians, especially the elderly and schoolchildren, navigating these pavements becomes a daily struggle.
For an overview of the Act and its intent, you can refer to PRS India’s summary of the Street Vendors Act.
When Court Orders Meet Political Ground Realities
This is not the first time the judiciary has stepped in. Over the years, the High Court has passed multiple orders instructing civic and police authorities to maintain clear pavements—sometimes even naming specific roads and landmarks.
Yet, the KMC finds itself caught in a bind. On the one hand, it is legally bound to comply with court orders and uphold pedestrian rights. On the other, hawker unions form a large urban constituency, often courted by political parties during elections. This political equation complicates the enforcement of “no hawking zones,” particularly around heritage landmarks and high-security areas.
Experiments in Reform: From Crackdowns to Transformation
KMC has occasionally piloted innovative approaches:
- Plastic-Free Street Food Hubs: The Russel Street initiative turned hawkers into organized vendors, with uniforms, waste management, and hygiene standards. It showcased how regulation and livelihood can coexist.
- Beautification Drives: In heritage zones like Dalhousie and Esplanade, hawkers have been urged to relocate to designated corners so as not to obstruct iconic facades.
- Pavement Redesign: In some wards, civic engineers narrowed overly wide pavements, making it harder for hawkers to encroach while still preserving space for vending.
But these successes are sporadic and rarely scaled across the city.
The Human Angle: Stories from the Pavement
- For hawkers: Many are first-generation migrants with no alternative employment. For them, the pavement is survival. “If we lose this space, my children will lose their education,” said one vendor near New Market.
- For pedestrians: Families complain that walking on pavements has become impossible, forcing them onto busy roads and endangering lives.
- For residents: Communities near congested stretches often point to fire hazards, blocked ambulance access, and increased crime.
- For civic officials: Enforcement is seen as a Sisyphean task—clearance at dawn, reoccupation by dusk.
This cycle reflects the broader challenges of informal urban economies in India, where law, livelihood, and public order constantly collide.
Hawkers at Kolkata Municipal Corporation HQ: Legal and Policy Backdrop
The High Court’s stern tone indicates judicial impatience with civic inefficiency. But the larger solution lies in systemic reforms:
- Town Vending Committees: These bodies, mandated under the 2014 Act, must function transparently, ensuring that vending certificates are distributed fairly.
- Urban Planning Integration: City planning documents need to account for informal economies. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has issued guidelines that stress rehabilitation and zoning, not just eviction.
- Pedestrian Rights: Groups like the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) advocate for pedestrian-first designs, which Indian cities are slowly embracing.
Lessons for KMC and Other Indian Cities
- Compliance is not optional: Court orders must be followed consistently, or institutional credibility erodes.
- Balance is essential: Hawker rights cannot override pedestrian rights, but vice versa, livelihoods cannot be erased overnight.
- Community engagement matters: Enforcement without dialogue leads to protests, as seen on Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road.
- Replicable solutions are needed: Pilot projects like Russel Street should inform broader city policy.
- Urban governance must be apolitical: Encroachment issues cannot be selectively enforced depending on electoral calculations.
The Road Ahead
The High Court has given the KMC yet another deadline. Whether this will finally result in meaningful change remains uncertain. Unless a comprehensive vending plan—balancing livelihoods, law, and pedestrian safety—is implemented, the story will repeat itself: eviction drives in the morning, reoccupation by evening, and yet another round of courtroom scolding.
For now, the pavements outside the KMC headquarters stand as a paradox—the very body entrusted with regulating the city’s public spaces struggles to regulate its own front yard.
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