Kolkata: Thousands of commuters using Howrah and Sealdah stations experienced obstacle-free movement inside and outside the stations during peak hours on Monday, approximately 48 hours after anti-encroachment drives led to the removal of about 500 hawkers who had been occupying public space with their wares for an extended period.
Anti-Encroachment Drives at Howrah and Sealdah Stations
The drives were initiated on Friday night and continued the following day at both stations. At Howrah station, payloaders removed about 150 illegal stalls and evicted around 200 hawkers, clearing the stretch from the ferry ghat to the app cab stand and the bus terminus. At Sealdah, approximately 300 hawkers were evicted to improve convenience for commuters.
Commuters Welcome the Change
With the road adjacent to Howrah station cleared of encroachment, passengers faced no hurdles while heading towards the station or the app cab stand with baggage. Cab drivers also no longer had to deal with congestion caused by stalls and hawkers' wares occupying the passageway. While the demolition zone outside Howrah station was seen empty, some hawkers were found conducting business on the road about 100 metres away, where Howrah-bound buses terminate their trips.
Bandel resident Sandip Sarkar, who works in a private firm in the city, was surprised after walking out of Howrah station around 11 am on Monday. "While rushing to catch a train on Friday afternoon, I had to dribble to manoeuvre through the hawkers. Today the road was empty, and I did not find any difficulty in moving to the taxi stand," he said.
Alipore resident Jyoti Sinha, on a trip to Dhanbad, had a different experience after getting off her cab outside the station. "That the passageway to Howrah station is free of encroachment is something we were looking forward to for a long time," she said.
Cab Drivers Applaud the Drive
Cab drivers called the drive a respite from congestion, which used to occur mostly due to unauthorised stalls dotting the road. "Many like me avoided coming to the station because of the traffic snarls," said Umesh Kumar Shah, a cab operator at the stand.
Sealdah Station Improvement
At Sealdah, suburban commuters regained access to space on platforms. "While platforms have been cleared of encroachment, the road outside needs to be cleaned," said commuter Mallika Chakraborty.
Some commuters feel that the administration needs to take further action against encroachment and nuisance such as spitting, littering, and stench outside the stations. The drive has been largely welcomed, with many hoping for sustained efforts to keep the stations and surrounding areas clean and free of illegal stalls.
