West Bengal: Major anti-encroachment drive conducted to clear out Howrah station area

Kolkata: A massive anti-encroachment drive was carried out outside Howrah railway station past midnight, with bulldozers demolishing rows of makeshift shops and illegal structures along the stretch from the Ganga ghat to the station premises, officials said on Sunday.

The operation, conducted jointly by the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP), railway authorities and Howrah City Police, saw heavy deployment of security personnel across the area to prevent any untoward incident during the eviction drive.

Many temporary stalls and structures occupying footpaths and public spaces near the bus stand and Ganga ghat area were removed using bulldozers and earthmovers as part of a railway land clearance initiative for passengers' convenience.

The Railways, however, has not issued any official statement, but when asked, officials said it was a part of a regular cleanup operation.

The encroachments had for years caused severe congestion and inconvenience to passengers entering and exiting the station, one of the busiest railway terminals in the country.

Visuals from the spot showed police barricading large sections of the area while bulldozers razed roadside shops selling food items, plastic goods and other daily-use articles.

Some hawkers alleged they were not given adequate prior notice before the demolition drive was conducted and claimed their livelihoods had been severely affected.

Several traders said many of the stalls had existed for decades and demanded rehabilitation or alternative vending arrangements from the authorities.

"There should be beautification and proper management, but poor vendors should also be rehabilitated," one hawker said.

"We will have to resort to suicide if no rehabilitation is provided," another stall owner affected by the drive said.

Eyewitnesses said tension briefly flared up when some vendors attempted to resist the eviction, leading to heated exchanges and pushing between police personnel and protesters. However, the situation was later brought under control.

Authorities maintained that the operation was necessary to clear illegal occupation of railway land and improve pedestrian movement and security around the station area. Police deployment in the locality continued on Sunday morning.