Pune : Walking Space Encroached By Hawkers Irks Koregaon Park Residents ; Demand Immediate Action From PMC 

Several residents of Koregaon Park are in distress as many street hawkers install their carts on the footpaths at Lane no 5 and 6 in Koregaon Space, encroaching the space entirely, making it very tough for senior citizens to walk & causing traffic issues.

Speaking to Pune Pulse, Mukesh Narang, a resident of Koregaon Park said, “It’s a nuisance. The people who come to eat from the street vendors park their vehicles on the road. They stand in the middle of the road to eat, drink etc. Due to this, it becomes very difficult to drive vehicles from there, especially during peak hours. There is chaos throughout the day. Every time you want to come out of Lane no 5, there is always a traffic jam because of the wrong parking etc. We are not against the livelihood of vendors but there must be discipline there. I am an 80-year-old senior citizen & I cannot walk on the footpaths due to these vendors.”

Neha Sood, another resident of Koregaon Park said, “The issue is extremely severe as there are safety & hygiene hazards. The senior citizens & children do not have safe zones to walk due to the encroachments. On the pavements, some vendors cook & sell food in unhygienic utensils. That itself is a health & hygiene issue. As they have completely occupied the footpaths, the senior citizens, kids etc have to walk on the streets where there is regular vehicular traffic. These food vendors throw waste on the streets, giving rise to flies, mosquitoes etc. The PMC comes, and clears the carts for the time being, however, after hafta is paid to them, the carts are back in place. 3 years back, there were only some stalls in lane no 5 which did not generate any garbage. Post Covid, tea vendors, snacks vendors etc have installed their carts, creating an unsafe environment for pedestrians & traffic flow. The solution is to create a separate zone for the vendors in a big open space like a khau galli where parking spaces can be created & people can properly enjoy their food etc, vendors can also run their businesses & no pedestrian, motorist etc would have to face any issues.”

Manoj Phulpagar, another resident of Koregaon Park said, “Pedestrians can’t even walk for short distances due to these encroachments. It is very sad. We understand that hawkers want to make money & earn a livelihood. So, we tell them to use only half the footpaths to install carts & tell their customers to not park vehicles on the roadside. Also, vehicles have to drive safely. However, if 2 big vehicles are on the road at the same time, traffic jams take place which last for several minutes. There is a regular practice where PMC takes away their carts, issues fines & when the fine is paid, they release the carts & the vendors install their carts again.”

Neena Narsian, a resident of Koregaon Park said, “The street vendors in lane no 5 and lane 6 have created traffic jams & inconvenience for residents. There is no footpath for our residents to walk. To buy provisions or vegetables, they have to walk on the roads where there is hardly any place due to vehicular traffic. The customers of these vendors do double parking due to which there is not enough space for vehicles to pass by, creating traffic jams and congestion. No action has been taken. Food contamination due to stalls creates flies and mosquitoes. Hence, a solution is to create a government land for these vendors. We aren’t against their earnings but don’t create hazards for residents.

Indrayani Karache, Assistant Municipal Commissioner, PMC Dhole Patil Road Ward Office said, “We will inspect the location & take relevant action.”

Shreyas Vange