<p>Well, who is still thinking of making Delhi a ‘world-class City’? At least the ground reality is much different than the claims made by our political leaders. If the Government could display tardiness in ensuring completion of construction work in Connaught Place, the hub for VIPs and bureaucrats, the issue of hawkers on the roads of Delhi, would definitely not find place on its immediate agenda. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Although, the hawkers are essential to the residents’ scheme of things, they turn out to be a major problem for the residents if allowed a free-run in any locality. Green Park is one such locality in the City, where the residents are facing a problem of ‘walking space’ due to the haphazard teh bazaari that continues unchecked in the Green Park local market area.<br /><br />Lalit Kumar, a long-time resident of Green Park, expresses his anger and helplessness over the increasing number of hawkers in the area. “The Green Park main market is almost half occupied by the hawkers. It has become a sort of a Chawri Bazaar here. They take up the whole space and we residents don’t get any space to even walk. Worse, the authorities too seem to have either turned a blind eye or are unable to do anything about checking the menace.”<br /><br />Pradeep Malhotra, vice president of Green Park Residents Welfare Association (RWA), adds, “These hawkers are permanently occupying the space in the market. They were once small time vendors but in collaboration with the authorities and local councillors, they have set up their permanent space. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) comes in once in a while to check but the story is same the next day. And we residents can’t fight with the authorities. During festivals the scene is even more chaotic. During Diwali, Holi and Dhanteras, these hawkers occupy even more space to sell their stuff and the food hawkers, flower vendors make the place even more dirty and congested.”<br /><br />While the swanky malls across Delhi have provided ample space to the high-end shops, no space has been allotted to these small vendors. Hence, they go ahead and occupy whatever space they get and what better place than a residential area.<br /><br />That the residents are really fed up can be gauged from the angry outburst of Chandrashekhar Goel, general secretary of Green Park RWA. “Jeewan doobhar ho gaya hai hamara toh. The MCD and the Delhi Police is acting in tandem and doing nothing to control this situation. Whenever we complain, they wash their hands of the matter saying there is a ‘stay order on these hawkers’, but actully the stay is only on five hawkers. And right now we have more than 30 hawkers who have made our life hell. There are also no safety measures in the market place. Recently, a ragpicker died because of short circuit,” he complained.<br /></p>
<p>Well, who is still thinking of making Delhi a ‘world-class City’? At least the ground reality is much different than the claims made by our political leaders. If the Government could display tardiness in ensuring completion of construction work in Connaught Place, the hub for VIPs and bureaucrats, the issue of hawkers on the roads of Delhi, would definitely not find place on its immediate agenda. <br /><br /></p>.<p>Although, the hawkers are essential to the residents’ scheme of things, they turn out to be a major problem for the residents if allowed a free-run in any locality. Green Park is one such locality in the City, where the residents are facing a problem of ‘walking space’ due to the haphazard teh bazaari that continues unchecked in the Green Park local market area.<br /><br />Lalit Kumar, a long-time resident of Green Park, expresses his anger and helplessness over the increasing number of hawkers in the area. “The Green Park main market is almost half occupied by the hawkers. It has become a sort of a Chawri Bazaar here. They take up the whole space and we residents don’t get any space to even walk. Worse, the authorities too seem to have either turned a blind eye or are unable to do anything about checking the menace.”<br /><br />Pradeep Malhotra, vice president of Green Park Residents Welfare Association (RWA), adds, “These hawkers are permanently occupying the space in the market. They were once small time vendors but in collaboration with the authorities and local councillors, they have set up their permanent space. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) comes in once in a while to check but the story is same the next day. And we residents can’t fight with the authorities. During festivals the scene is even more chaotic. During Diwali, Holi and Dhanteras, these hawkers occupy even more space to sell their stuff and the food hawkers, flower vendors make the place even more dirty and congested.”<br /><br />While the swanky malls across Delhi have provided ample space to the high-end shops, no space has been allotted to these small vendors. Hence, they go ahead and occupy whatever space they get and what better place than a residential area.<br /><br />That the residents are really fed up can be gauged from the angry outburst of Chandrashekhar Goel, general secretary of Green Park RWA. “Jeewan doobhar ho gaya hai hamara toh. The MCD and the Delhi Police is acting in tandem and doing nothing to control this situation. Whenever we complain, they wash their hands of the matter saying there is a ‘stay order on these hawkers’, but actully the stay is only on five hawkers. And right now we have more than 30 hawkers who have made our life hell. There are also no safety measures in the market place. Recently, a ragpicker died because of short circuit,” he complained.<br /></p>
