Kolkata: Cops from the Jorasanko Police Station visited several parts of Burrabazar on Friday evening and instructed traders, shopkeepers and hawkers to immediately remove plastic sheets used to cover their goods, clear encroachments from pavements and carriageways and dismantle illegal extensions outside their shops, sparking a sense of foreboding among business owners and hawkers that they might also face payloaders.The police personnel took down the names and details of business owners as they made their way through Muktaram Babu Street, the Ram Mandir area and adjoining localities in the trading hub, where narrow lanes, pavements and carriageways, partially blocked by stalls and merchandise, hampered pedestrian movement and emergency access. Many traders have extended display areas beyond their shopfronts and hawkers occupied large parts of pavements.One of the officers said they gave only verbal instructions during their visit. “Further action will be determined by our senior officers,” he said.The police team paid the visit amid a series of anti-encroachment drives being carried out across the city since the new govt assumed office in May. Although no demolition or eviction was mentioned during the visit, traders said they feared their establishments could face bulldozer action, similar to what was happening in other parts of the city and state. “We are apprehensive of the govt coming with bulldozers to raze our stalls. I am the only earning member of my family and the entire family is dependent on me,” said Sunny Singh, who runs a chaat stall at the Muktaram Babu Street-Central Avenue crossing. Echoing his fears, Avadesh Saha, a trader on Central Avenue, said, “The administration has been using payloaders in eviction drives in different parts of the city.”Some hawkers began removing the plastic sheets and traders started shifting their goods from pavements and carriageways back into their shops while the police were still in the area.Police said the diktat against plastic sheets was aimed at reducing fire hazards. Hawkers widely use plastic sheets in monsoon to protect goods from rain but the material is highly combustible. Also, when hung over shopfronts and narrow lanes, the sheets can obstruct firefighting operations and delay rescue efforts. “If we do not use plastic, all our stock and furniture will be damaged in the rain. But when police tell us to do so, we have to remove plastic,” said Ram Gupta, who runs a south Indian food stall in the Ram Mandir area.Commuters, however, said encroachments made walking through Burrabazar increasingly difficult. “There is hardly any pavement left for pedestrians. We are forced to walk on the road, dodging buses, trucks and heavy vehicles. Clearing pavements will make the area safer for pedestrians,” said a businessman who passes through the locality.Burrabazar has witnessed several fires in recent years, leading to loss of lives and business. Last year, major fires on Ezra Street and a hotel in the Mechhua area highlighted the vulnerability of the congested commercial hub.
