Night Markets In South Mumbai to Bring the City to Life After Dark

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) intends to open a night market in the city. It will first be implemented on Mohammed Ali Road, near Colaba, followed by the whole of South Mumbai. BMC official, Paresh Kulkarni, said that this idea was put forward at the request of guardian minister Deepak Kesarkar. However, reservations have been expressed by some authorities, such as Shiv Sena corporator Avkash Jadhav, who has written a letter to the Town Vending Committee.

The objections notwithstanding, Kulkarni said, “In order to increase tourism and jobs in the city, we are planning to introduce this concept.” He further added, “We will be having conversations with the relevant authorities to ensure implementation. The idea should be put into practice without disrupting the locals or the traffic.”

The rationale behind introducing this Goa-inspired project in South Mumbai stemmed from the observation of the area becoming dull post-7 pm. The authorities are looking into the possibility of using areas that become vacant in the late evening for assembling these markets. While the aim was to execute this plan in 2020, it was shelved due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to Kulkarni, keeping markets open from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., will decrease the number of early-morning shoppers. Due to the rush of office-goers, the mornings are typically chaotic, with traffic congestion causing inconvenience to the residents.

The entire South Mumbai region, from the A ward in Fort to the E ward in Byculla, will be incorporated. The design framework for the hawking zone envisages a white uniform for hawkers and public restrooms, with the addition of pink-coloured toilets for women and urinals for men. A license will be granted for the same by the BMC.

In an attempt to enhance the appearance of the B ward, the area beneath the Mohammed Ali Road Bridge will also be enlarged, and the numerous squatters residing there will be relocated to rehabilitation facilities. Kulkarni said, “The area currently appears to be run-down, but will be cleaned up to make room for a garden under the bridge.” He also revealed that the hawking zone walkways would be illuminated and made more attractive. The BMC intends to make this congested ward come alive at night.

There will be food stands and plazas that sell cooked meals at night. Kulkarni further stated that to prevent hawkers from spilling onto the roads, the licensed hawkers will first be moved to a footpath on a regular row, and the footpath would then be transformed into a designated hawking zone. The refurbishment of the B Ward will take place in select locations such as SVP Road, P D'Mello Road, and Mohammed Ali Road.

P D'Mello Road will serve as a gateway to South Mumbai and will also be illuminated. For Mohammed Ali Road, an urban consultant has been hired, and three tenders totaling Rs.16 crore have been issued to begin work on electrification, pedestrian beautification, gardens, and the central median.

“We will first perform a survey on the authorized access roads and footpaths, as well as on the design that fits the location,” added Kulkarni. After the successful implementation of this project on Mohammed Ali Road, the BMC plans to beautify other congested wards, including areas such as Dongri and Umerkhadi. They have set June 2023 as the target date for the completion of this project.

South Mumbai to witness Night Market

Maitri Mehta

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) intends to open a night market in the city. This is a Goa inspired idea which the BMC is planning to first implement on Mohammed Ali Road, followed by the whole of South Mumbai. A BMC official Paresh Kulkarni said that this idea was put out at the request of guardian minister Deepak Kesarkar. Kulkarni said, “In order to increase tourism and jobs in the city, we are planning to introduce this concept." He further added, “We will be having conversations with the relevant authorities to ensure implementation. The idea should be put into practice without disrupting the locals or the traffic.”

The reason why the BMC wants to start this project in South Mumbai, Kulkarni said, "South Mumbai becomes dull after 7 pm. We're looking into the possibilities of using areas that become vacant in the late evening for night markets.” According to him, if South Mumbai's markets are open from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m there won't be an excess of early-morning shoppers. As due to the fluctuating population, the mornings are typically out of balance, which results in traffic congestion that are annoying to the locals. Mainly, the entire South Mumbai region, from the A ward in Fort to the E ward in Byculla, will incorporate this concept. Among the designs for the hawking zone, a white uniform for hawkers and public restrooms will be provided. Pink coloured toilets for women and urinals for men. There is a provision for the BMC to grant licenses for the same.

To give the ward a more attractive appearance, the area beneath the Mohammed Ali Road Bridge will also be enlarged, and the numerous squatters residing there will be relocated to rehabilitation facilities. Kulkarni stated, "The area currently appears run-down but will be cleaned up to make room for a garden under the bridge.” He also said that the hawking zones walkways would be made more attractive and illuminated. At night, cooked meals would be sold at food stands and plazas. Their intention is to make this congested ward come alive at night. He also mentioned that the BMC was planning to execute this plan in 2020 but was shelved due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Kulkarni further stated that in order to prevent hawkers from spilling onto the road, all of the dispersed licensed hawkers will first be moved to a footpath in a regular row and the footpath would be transformed into a designated hawking zone. SVP Road, P D'Mello Road, and Mohammed Ali Road have all been chosen for refurbishment in B Ward. P D'Mello Road, will serves as a gateway to South Mumbai, and will also be illuminated. For Mohammed Ali Road, an urban consultant has been hired, and three tenders totaling Rs.16 crore have been issued for work on electrification, gardens, the central median, and pedestrian beautification. "We will first perform a survey on the authorized access roads and footpaths, as well as the design that fits the location," added Kulkarni.

After the BMC is successful in implementing this project on Mohammed Ali Road, they plan on to beautify other congested wards which comprises areas like Dongri and Umerkhadi. Though the BMC has kept June 2023 as the date for designated hawking zones and night markets. Kulkarni mentioned that Shiv Sena corporator Avkash Jadhav have opposed this idea of BMC writing a letter to the Town Vending Committee. Kulkarni on Jadhav’s claim said, “Aaditya Thackeray, a member of their own party, has proposed adding a nightlife to Mumbai. But, this idea of night markets is itself now being resisted by their own people. They are contradicting themselves only.”