From eviction notices to FIRs: Mumbai tightens action on hawkers

Representation pic/Nimesh Dave

Mumbai's crackdown on street vendors is no longer just about clearing pavements. With FIRs increasingly replacing fines and eviction notices, the city's enforcement drive is now pushing thousands of informal workers into the criminal justice system, raising fears of lasting consequences for livelihoods, mobility and identity.

Data from North Mumbai zones alone shows hundreds of cases already registered under criminal provisions, even as hawker unions allege the action is being driven by political pressure and identity targeting, while the city's long-pending hawker policy remains stuck in legal and administrative limbo.

2014
Year Street Vendors Act was passed

Crackdown snapshot

Zone XI enforcement
2025 and 2026 combined
9858 vendors fined
511 cases registered
2026 alone
2459 vendors fined
293 cases registered

Highest action
Borivli recorded 241 cases across the two years

Zone XII enforcement
2025 and 2026 combined
7496 vendors fined
133 cases registered
2026 alone
589 vendors fined
60 cases registered

Highest action
Samta Nagar and Dahisar among the most active stations

Legal provisions invoked

Section 285 BNS
. Danger or obstruction in public way
. Punishable by fine up to Rs 5000

Section 287 BNS
. Negligent handling of hazardous materials
. Up to 6 months imprisonment or fine

Nature
Cognizable and bailable offences

What the data shows

. Cases rising sharply in 2026
. More FIR-based enforcement compared to earlier drives
. Concentration
. North Mumbai zones seeing bulk of cases
. Shift observed
. From administrative fines to criminal registration

Residents' concerns

. Footpath blockage
. Traffic congestion
. Safety risks near schools and hospitals
. "Blanket permissions in crowded areas are not acceptable," said a residents' group member.

Political dimension

. Hawkers form a large voter base
. Analysts note a cycle
. Protection before elections
. Crackdowns after elections
. No permanent solution

Hawker Union leader speaks

Jai Shankar Dayashankar Singh, General Secretary, Azad Hawkers Union
"If the municipal survey recognised nearly one lakh hawkers, how can they suddenly be labelled as Bangladeshi? Criminal cases will not just remove livelihoods, they will damage futures," he said. He added the crackdown also disrupts agricultural supply chains dependent on street retail.

Voices from the vendors

Shantaram Shinde, 65, Borivli
"For over a year, our business has been shut. We are ready to follow rules, but we need space to earn."

Pawan Tandel, Dahisar
"My father sold here for 40 years. If we are eligible, how do we survive without work?"

Parveen Kumar Pathak, Kandivli
"I've run this stall for over two decades. Don't label genuine vendors without proof."

Shyam Sundar Jha, Kandivli West
"For two years, we've had no income. Without work, how do we educate our children?"