A writ petition has been filed before the Bombay High Court against Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) for failing to take action against hawkers who have encroached upon no hawking zones in the city.

Though the civic body had demarcated a few streets— from Mohammad Ali Chowk to Shivaji Chowk at Kalyan (west)— as no hawking zones, hawkers have encroached upon these areas.

A businessman from Kalyan has filed the writ petition against the lackadaisical attitude of the civic administration in tackling the hawkers menace. The petition has cited that the hawkers, who encroach upon pavements and roads, are the reason behind the perennial traffic jams on the road from Mohammad Ali Chowk to Shivaji Chowk.

“KDMC has issued a circular as per which several busy roads in the city have been declared as non hawking zones. Besides the road from Mohammad Ali Chowk to Shivaji Chowk, railway station premises also have been demarcated as no hawking zones. However, the civic administration failed to ensure that the city roads remain free from hawkers,” said advocate Dinesh Parmar, the petitioner’s lawyer, who didn’t want to reveal his client’s identity to the media.

The writ petition has made the state, KDMC, municipal commissioner, C-ward officer and local police as respondents.

“Whenever KDMC and police are informed about the hawkers, they have either ignore the complaint or have taken actions which are merely eyewash,” said advocate Parmar.

According to the petitioner, hawkers block the view of shops and parking spaces meant for shoppers.

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