Residents of PCMC areas have been demanding removal of illegal mutton shops, vegetable and fish vendors who are eating up space on footpaths, roads and amenity plots. In the absence of organised market spaces, the encroachers have been leaving city roads in an unhygienic state, the residents have complained. They have been blaming Cidco for not taking the initiative of developing markets for so many years and this has been reportedly encouraging hawkers to grab public places. Each time the anti-encroachment wing of PCMC would take action against the illegal vendors, they would be back the very next day, triggering public outrage at the lack of strict deterrent action and the absence of coordination between nodal agencies. “Demolishing illegal mutton shops and initiating action against illegal hawkers will never solve the infringement of public places. They need to be accommodated elsewhere. Fencing of open plots will restrain land and debris mafia from illegally occupying these areas. Debris dumping has been rampant in the abandoned plots,” said Naresh Singh, a member of Swachh Kharghar Manch. Meanwhile, open slaughtering near housing societies too has become a burning issue. After facing flak from residents groups, Cidco has now agreed to demarcate market places for vegetable and fish vendors and slaughter houses. Cidco will soon hand over the reserved market plots to PCMC to rein in encroachments and accommodate licensed hawkers. “Market places will soon be handed over to PCMC. Open plots will be fenced to arrest encroachments,” Cidco MD Bhushan Gagrani said. According to PCMC chief Sudhakar Shinde the menace can’t be tackled alone by the agencies and citizens’ participation was key. “However, we will continue take action against the hawkers to free public space. The residents should not purchase from these illegal vendors,” he said.