Kolkata witnessed a major anti-encroachment drive late Saturday night, with authorities demolishing more than 150 illegal stalls outside Howrah station and evicting close to 200 vendors. In a parallel operation at Sealdah station, which began on Friday night and continued through Saturday, around 300 hawkers were removed from the premises.
Howrah station operation details
At Howrah, payloaders were used to dismantle structures that had encroached upon roads and footpaths stretching from the ferry ghat to the app cab stand on one side and the bus terminus on the other. Police barricaded adjacent localities before the drive commenced around 11 pm. Hundreds of stalls selling food items, juice, tea, and daily-use products were pulled down. While some vendors attempted to resist the eviction, they retreated in the face of heavy police deployment.
The following day, many affected stall owners were seen trying to salvage whatever items remained on the roads and pavements. They alleged that no notice was given before the eviction team moved in with payloaders. However, railway authorities claimed that notices had been served prior to the operation.
Vendors express distress
“A juice shop we had been running for 15 years was razed around 11.30 pm. We were not given any notice or warning. We have incurred huge losses. Where will we go now?” said Mithilesh Kumar, a vendor. Another hawker, who had moved from Darbhanga in Bihar nine years ago to earn a living, stated, “We ran a fast-food shop for many years. It’s now gone. No notice was issued to us before the shop was demolished.”
Crowd management and police announcements
A large crowd gathered outside the station during the drive, prompting police to make repeated announcements urging people to move away. An officer was heard saying, “Do not crowd here. Passengers, you may proceed towards the station. Those who need to catch a bus, please do so. No drama is going on here. Please go about your business. Let the administration do its job.”
Official perspective
Sources in the railways and state administration termed the anti-encroachment drive a “routine clean-up operation” to clear roadside space for the convenience of passengers. No official statement was issued by the railways. The encroachments had for years caused severe congestion and inconvenience to passengers entering and exiting one of the busiest railway terminals in the country.
Sealdah station drive
At Sealdah, Government Railway Police sources confirmed that at least 300 hawkers were removed on Friday night and Saturday. Around 150 hawkers were evicted from the space between platforms 1 and 14, and the rest from the stretch between platforms 14 and 19. “The drive was ordered to remove all hawkers from the station premises, including the space in front of the terminal, stretching till the taxi stand,” a senior GRP official said.
Passenger reactions
Passengers welcomed the hawker-free platforms. “The way to the platforms remained so congested. At least, now we can have easier access to the platforms,” said Nabarun Banerjee, a resident of Khardah. However, some vendors expressed frustration. Shankar Prasad, a resident of Beleghata, said, “We had sought time to provide papers to prove that we have necessary permits. But we were evicted even before the process got completed. I have been selling wares here since 2017. Why snatch my livelihood?”
