Plastic seats back in Gariahat, New Market, Hatibagan due to rain

Kolkata: Hawkers in all major shopping hubs, including Gariahat and Hatibagan, have gone back to using plastic sheets to shield their wares from rain despite the civic body providing permanent sheds with corrugated steel sheets. Use of plastic sheets is also rampant in New Market-Esplanade.
This violation comes less than a month since the Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s last anti-plastic drive at the markets.
On Friday, TOI found the hawkers flouting the ban with impunity. The maximum violation was seen in Gariahat and New Market-Esplanade.
While some hawkers were using the plastic sheets openly, a few hid the sheets under clothes. In Gariahat, the sky could not be sighted overhead while walking on the pavement as plastic sheets draped the entire width of the pavement.
Last Dec, plastic sheets had been pulled down from about 1,000 stalls in the Gariahat-Golpark belt following mayor Firhad Hakim’s ultimatum against the use of plastic in the city’s hawking zones. This followed CM Mamata Banerjee’s intent to clean up the city. Plastic sheets over the hawker stalls were not only an eyesore, they also posed a fire hazard.
Sapan Sahoo, a Gariahat, hawker, said, “We use tarpaulins to prevent rain damage to our wares. We will pull them down when the rain stops.”
Hawker Suman Saha, joint secretary of Gariahat Indira Hawkers’ Union, said, “We do-n’t have any other option. The tin sheds are small and water seeps in during heavy rain.”
On April 25, KMC and cops conducted a drive to remove plastic sheets from hawkers’ stalls on JL Nehru Road. Two weeks later, they were back.
Md Nadeem, a hawker at Esplanade said, “Usually, we don’t use plastic. We are using them now due to the rain.” Saif Khan, general secretary of Ha-wker Suraksha Union, said, “We know there’s a ban but we are helpless.”
Tapan Naiya, a Hatibagan hawker, said, “We can’t afford alternative rain guards.”
Prasenjit Dey, a member of Shyambazar-Hatibagan Hawkers’ Union said, “Who will take responsibility if the wares of around 1,500 hawkers in this area get damaged due to rain? All these plastic sheets have been put up temporarily.”
Traders and customers at these hubs, however, opposed the return of plastic sheets.
Shemonti Biswas, a shopper at Gariahat, said, “Plastic covers are dangerous in crowded markets.”
Vaishali market’s encroachments cause inconvenience to residents, impacting commercial activities. Lack of action exacerbates the situation, leading to parking issues, accidents, and fatigue among residents. GMC official promises inspection to address the issue.
Massive fire at a plastic factory in Narela’s Bhorgarh Industrial Area of Delhi on Monday. Fire fighters are on the scene trying to extinguish the blaze. The cause of the conflagration is still unknown.
Supreme Court directed police to avoid naming innocents and individuals from backward communities in history sheets. Emphasis on ‘invisible victims’, audit mechanism, and Article 21 protection. Mention of Delhi Model policy regime.