Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has launched a citywide drive to remove encroachments and other obstructions from footpaths, with Commissioner Dr Kailas Shinde inspecting enforcement operations in Vashi and Nerul on Monday.
The civic action follows the Supreme Court’s recent recognition of obstruction-free footpaths as a right of citizens. NMMC said the campaign is intended to remove unauthorised hawkers and other obstructions while ensuring that pedestrian spaces remain accessible and usable.
Shinde visited Vashi Sectors 9 and 10 and Nerul Sectors 29, 3 and 30, where civic teams were taking action against hawkers and other encroachments on pedestrian pathways and marginal spaces. The inspection was attended by senior civic officials, including Additional Commissioner Dr Rahul Gethe, Deputy Commissioner of the Encroachment Department Sanjay Shinde, Deputy Commissioner of Circle 1 Dr Amol Palve and Deputy Commissioner of Solid Waste Management Dr Ajay Gadade.
Assistant Commissioners and ward officials, including Sukhdev Yedve from Vashi and Dr Anuradha Babar from Nerul, were also present during the inspection. The commissioner had earlier held a special meeting with civic officials and instructed offices across the municipal administration to prepare action plans for a coordinated campaign to keep footpaths free from obstructions.
Under the plan, authorised hawkers will be shifted from footpaths to alternative locations, while unauthorised hawkers and other obstructions will be removed. Ward offices have been directed to survey footpaths along roads, identify vulnerable stretches and prioritise locations requiring immediate action. Dedicated teams have been formed to implement the campaign across the civic area.
The NMMC said the objective was not merely to clear footpaths temporarily but to ensure that pedestrian spaces remain accessible over time. The civic administration said encroachments frequently force pedestrians to walk on roads, creating inconvenience and increasing safety risks. It also said the drive would continue across all ward offices and that efforts would be made to sustain the results.
The citywide campaign places responsibility on ward offices to identify problem stretches and coordinate enforcement. The municipal administration has not provided in the supplied material with a total number of locations covered, the number of hawkers affected or a deadline for completing the exercise.
Separately, NMMC Mayor Sujata Patil directed the civic administration to undertake a campaign against the sale and use of intoxicating and narcotic substances. The civic body’s footpath operation will continue through ward-level teams under the action plans prepared by the municipal departments.
