Given that hawkers are part of our street landscape, it is not surprising that the hawker crackdown story and penal action against a cop for inaction against illegal vendors continues to resonate. A mid-day report recently stated that the Mumbai police intensified their crackdown on illegal hawkers with support from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

It also stated that an assistant police inspector was suspended after allegedly failing to take action against illegal hawkers outside the Churchgate subway area. Hawkers inside the subway clog the area. In the event of any emergency requiring a quick exit or evacuation, panic may ensue as crowds rush to leave the space urgently. Hawkers will certainly exacerbate that situation as they constrict the space and may have to run out themselves, with or without their goods.