Big eviction drive in SoBo begins; 800 hawkers to go

Mumbai: In preparation of the demolition of the British-era Carnac Bunder bridge in South Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will undertake one of the biggest hawker eviction drives in the city starting today. Over 800 hawkers are expected to be evicted to free up three major roads on which traffic will be diverted after the demolition.

The drive will clear hawkers on Yusuf Meherali road, Mohammed Ali Road and Sardar Vallabhai Patel (SVP) road so that traffic approaching from the Eastern Freeway (towards Crawford Market), and from Metro cinema junction (towards the freeway) can be diverted to them.

“The Carnac bridge goes from Crawford Market towards P D’mello Road and there will be traffic chaos after the bridge is demolished. Hence, we have been asked to remove all the hawkers from YM Road, Mohammed Ali Road and SVP Road as all the traffic will be diverted to these three roads after demolition of the bridge,” Dhanaji Herlekar, assistant commissioner, B ward said.

“The traffic that comes from Eastern Freeway to Crawford Market and Kalbadevi will be diverted to YM Road and Mohammed Ali road. The oncoming traffic from Metro junction going towards Eastern Freeway will also be diverted to these roads,” Herlekar said.

The drive will first begin on YM Road where there are approximately 300 hawkers. It will be followed by the removal of 300 hawkers from Mohammed Ali Road and 200-odd hawkers from SVP road. BMC officials have been instructed to destroy the goods, ranging from garments to dry fruit, on the spot. The drive is expected to be completed in a week’s time.

“We will first make announcements on vans. Even if they are illegal, they were earning their livelihood and so we want them to first vacate the roads on their own. Their goods will be confiscated and destroyed. We will take help from additional forces like traffic and police,” Herlekar said.

Monuiddin Ali, a vendor selling garments on Mohammed Ali Road for the past five years switched to vending food after sales declined drastically during the pandemic. “I have heard of the BMC drive. I have not managed to procure a license. I will have to look for another road to shift to probably somewhere in Bhendi Bazar or near Minara Masjid now,” he said.

The 155-year-old bridge located between the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Masjid Bunder station passes over the Central Railway tracks and is slated to be demolished next week.

In 2018, the BMC had conducted its first joint inspection with the Central Railway and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and decided to close the bridge for vehicular traffic as it was considered to be in an unsafe condition. However, the traffic department had at the time pointed out that it would be expedient to close Carnac bridge only after Hancock bridge was reopened by the BMC.

The BMC opened the Hancock bridge, which connects Mazgaon and Dongri, earlier this month. The two-lane bridge, which was also built over a century ago, was demolished in 2016.

In April, the Central Railway had sought permission to stop traffic and demolish Carnac Bridge. The Railways had also flagged the bridge as unsafe and informed the BMC and the Mumbai traffic police.

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