Fresh stretches of pavements, parking lots and even roads in New Town have been grabbed by hawkers as well as toto and autorickshaw stands.
Stalls blocking bicycle tracks, carriageways, pavements and roads have mushroomed across all three action areas of the township. Apart from being eyesores, they pose a risk to motorists and pedestrians.
On Sunday, The Telegraph drove around New Town and found newly set up stalls, made of bamboo and plastic, on several pavement stretches in Action Areas I, II and III.
Such stalls occupy the carriageway of the road that leads to Balaka Abasan. Among the other stretches that have been taken over by hawkers are the ones in front of the NBCC Towers and near the Greenwood Park housing complex.
Some stalls have come up near the parking lot of the Aircraft Museum and Eco Park’s parking lot.
This newspaper saw several vans selling vegetables and fast food in the parking zone near the Aircraft Museum (next to New Town police station) and opposite the
Tata Medical Centre in the evening.
Stalls made of bamboo and plastic sheets block bicycle tracks and walkways and spill on the carriageway of main roads behind Nazrul Tirtha, in front of the Rail Vihar Housing Complex and in front of Greenfield Heights.
Stalls have also mushroomed near Harinalaya Mini Zoo, close to Eco Park’s gate number 6.
An autorickshaw stand has come up on the pavement near the Pride Hotel crossing on the Major Arterial Road. Toto stands occupy pavements in almost all blocks.
A senior official of the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) said they are facing an uphill task in keeping roads, sidewalks and cycle tracks free of hawkers.
“We are trying our best to rehabilitate hawkers, but almost daily there is a steady influx of hawkers who are occupying fresh stretches,” the official said.
A senior officer of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate said they keep notifying the NKDA about hawkers who occupy roads and ask them to move their vans and carts if those block traffic.
“We will ensure that autorickshaw and toto stands don’t block walkways,” the officer said.
Another NKDA official said more than 500 hawkers who used to peddle their wares from pavements have been relocated to temporary markets across the township.