The widening of Kelibag Road, which started three years ago, with the intention of easing traffic flow is once again choked, not by vehicles but by rampant enchroachments by hawkers and small businesses and vendors. The situation has turned to an extent where the locals and residents refer to it as a ‘Hawkers Road.’ The project for road-widening, which was initiated in 2018 under the guidance of Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister, was observed as a much-needed relief for the congested Mahal area.

 

 

 

The project had its fair share of hurdles including strong opposition from locals, shop owners and legal battles that escalated to the Supreme Court. After the State Government won legal battle, enchroachments were cleared, illegal structures were demolished and the road was widened to facilitate improved vehicular movement. Previously, the project brought major changes and relief to the commuters. However, over the past few years, small vendors and hawkers have gradually claimed the road, and shop-keepers the footpaths, the road has turned back into a chaotic marketplace. The enchroachments are affecting traffic flow leaving no room for parking for visitors and also compelling pedestrians take the road. “People suffered a lot when the road-widening plan was implemented. For months, we could’nt even reach our own homes with own vehicles. Finallly, when administration resolved the issue, hawkers occupied every inch of an empty space. Shopkeepers are suffering, pedestrians can’t even walk without bumping cars into each other. I have a question to administration, whether its aware of this problem? What the police are doing? I feel it’s name should be changed from Kelibagh Road to Hawkers Road,” said Manoj Vaidya, a resident of Mahal. As a part of the redevelopment plan, a shopping complex was built behind the Kelibag Road , providing alternatives for small shops and hawkers to conduct their businesses.

 

Howevere, the initiative also failed to serve its purpose, instead of shifting their operations to the complex, many local shop owners have turned their business space into godowns, choosing to continue on the Kelibagh Road. Sanjay Kamble, Superintendent, Anti-Enchroachment Wing, Nagpur Municipal Corporation said, “We conduct daily drives to remove enchroachments. However, these hawkers still return the next day. It’s a constant issue, not just on the Kelibagh Road but also the Sitabuldi main road and Gittikhadan have become a challenge.” Locals are cursing the administration and law enforcement for their failure in addressing the issue. Many locals pointed out that, the hawkers problem is not new but the menace is an old headache with no solution.