Hawkers trade boom leaves residents fuming

Pune: Shastrinagar resident Deepa Mathur takes nearly half an hour just to drive into her residential society from the main road. Everyday, she is forced to navigate through a maze of haphazardly parked vehicles and dozens of people milling about the 20-odd food stalls that have sprung up outside the society. A chunk of the stalls' patrons are employees of corporate and IT companies located in the neighbourhood.
The food stalls occupy most of the newly built footpath on the road, while some have encroached upon the carriageway.Part of the main approach road is also taken over by cars belonging to the companies, their employees as well as other taxi operators.
Residents of the area, which is located close just next to the upscale Kalyaninagar, are fed up of the civic nuisance. They point out that the encroachments not only spoils the peace in the area, but also expose them to the risk of antisocial activities. Approaching their local ward office and area corporator too has not borne any result, nor have appeals sent to the corporate offices.
Expressing frustration at the deteriorating situation, treasurer of Mahindra Society Deepa Mathur says, "We are sick and tired of the mess outside our homes. Incidentally, We have no alternative routes to enter our complex and are forced to cross through this patch. Most of the stalls which have come up are selling snacks and tea. People hover around the stalls throughout the day, even till late in the night as many of the offices nearby function 24X7. Our security and peace is at stake. The piles of garbage and sanitation issues arising because of the stalls are another nuisance."
Many residents are too scared to speak up come out in the open because they fear for the safety of their families. One such resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity said, "The number of stalls is increasing day by day and seems to have the support of the local politicians. The entire road has been taken over by food stalls and their patrons, leaving absolutely no space for us to walk. The companies should make arrangements for their employeeseating and parking arrangements for their employees inside their own premises, not on a public road. It's going to get more difficult to remove these hawkers if their numbers increase."
Young children, senior citizens and those living alone feel extremely vulnerable in the area, explains the secretary of one of the societies wishing not to be named. "It's an internal service road which has turned into an open-for-all thoroughfare over the last couple of years. There are antisocial elements and even couples sitting men sitting with women inside cars. The police, ward office and the area corporators are only passing on the blame to each other," the resident pointed out.
The companies seem to have no regard for the quietness of the residential area that they are operating in, another resident stated. "With all these antisocial elements hovering around and indulging in all sorts of unspeakable activity, I am scared for my child whom I have to pick up and drop from the bus stop. The companies have enough space in their compounds, yet their employees and company cars are parked on a public road. As a result, we are unable to maneuver our vehicles. The hawkers seem to enjoy the patronage of the area corporator and are not scared of anything," the resident added.
Vasant Patil, assistant municipal commissioner of Ahmednagar Road and Vadgaonsheri municipal areas clarified that only three or four hawkers have been authorized to operate from the footpaths. Promising to take action again the illegal ones, Patil said, "A lot or rearrangement has been done as part of the new hawker policy which is being implemented across the city. We have authorized only three to four hawkers for that road and they have been permitted to operate from the footpath. Action is regularly taken against unauthorized stalls and we will do so again. The residents themselves patronize eat from these stalls so they should not be complaining. We have also put up signboards indicating no-parking zones but its enforcement is the job of the traffic police."
Complaints add up
* An increasing number of hawkers and food stalls have taken over space in the service lane
* Plenty of working professionals mill about the area all through the day and night
* Piles of stinking garbage accumulates everyday, giving rise to flies and mosquitoes
* Company cars and private vehicles are parked on both sides of the road
* Blue-collared employees and staffers roam the stretch round the clock
* Drinking, smoking and playing cards have become a near daily occurrence
* A tobacco seller, located nearby, is in proximity with Don Bosco High School