I read with a familiar sense of disquiet the recent reports about social media amplifying the long-standing issue of footpath hawkers and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) inaction in Mumbai Social media flags BMC’s inaction on footpath hawkers in Mumbai | Mumbai News - The Times of India. It's disheartening, yet not entirely surprising, to see this conversation resurface, especially since I've reflected on this very predicament many times before.
It takes me back to my blog from 2024, titled "Systematically make footpaths encroachment-free", which echoed earlier thoughts from 2016. In it, I highlighted the Bombay High Court's emphasis on ensuring Mumbai's footpaths were pedestrian-friendly. I had even brought up the suggestion, years ago, that a systematic approach was needed, one that would make it "Less Likely to get Bribed" (as I wrote on 27/12/2016 within that blog post). My concern then, as now, was that without clear, enforceable policies and reduced human intervention, the system would remain vulnerable to corruption, perpetuating the very issues we see today.
I remember in 2019, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had called for "Make World-Class Footpaths" Make World-Class Footpaths, Uddhav Tells Civic Officers. My suggestion at the time was to leverage technology to keep footpaths vendor-free and clean. Seeing how things have unfolded, with social media now playing the role of a public watchdog, it's striking how relevant that earlier insight still is. The question of effective implementation, and the political will behind it, remains central.
Then, in 2020, I wrote about "BMC Proposes: Hawkers Will Dispose", discussing the delicate balancing act between hawkers' livelihoods and pedestrian safety. The current situation underscores the perennial challenge of managing urban street vending. We need solutions that don't just displace but integrate, ensuring both public space and economic opportunity can coexist with proper regulation and, critically, consistent enforcement.
Mumbai, my beloved city, often grapples with these fundamental issues of urban living. From the "parking mess" I discussed in 2018 (No takers, no wonder) to the broader concerns about livability that made me exclaim "Mumbai Meri Jaan!" in 2011 (Mumbai Meri Jaan!), the core challenge often boils down to governance and accountability. The digital age provides new avenues for citizens to raise their voices, but the onus remains on civic authorities to listen and act decisively. I feel a renewed urgency to revisit those earlier ideas, because they clearly hold value in the current context. Perhaps it’s time for us, the citizens, to present a clear "Citizen's Charter of Demand" to our political leaders, as I suggested in my "Gas Chamber" blog in 2023 (Gas Chamber), demanding specific, time-bound actions to improve our city's infrastructure and livability.
This isn't merely about clearing footpaths; it's about reclaiming public spaces for their intended purpose, ensuring safety, and fostering a sense of order in our bustling metropolis. It's about demonstrating that collective civic engagement, amplified by modern tools, can indeed drive necessary change.
Regards,
Hemen Parekh
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