Night food stalls from Digha to Uran line highways, with open cylinders raising fears of an accident

Illegal food stalls and Chinese food carts take to the roads of Navi Mumbai as soon as night falls. From Digha to Uran, stalls selling Chinese food, bhurji pav and ice cream are coming up brazenly across the city, right on the main highways and at important junctions. The stalls are obstructing traffic and raising the risk of accidents.

Earlier, these vendors ran their fast food business behind a cover or screen. That is no longer the case. The use of open cylinders on the road has raised a serious safety question.

A few months ago, a cylinder suddenly exploded at a Chinese food stall in Rabale. Fortunately, a major loss of life was averted then, but it does not appear that the police administration and the departments concerned have learnt any lesson from the incident.

Earlier, such businesses were confined to village lanes. Now they operate openly through the night on the national highway and main roads. Customers park their vehicles haphazardly on the road, which adds to the risk of an accident.

It is alleged that the local police or the municipal corporation's anti-encroachment squads only occasionally make a show of acting against these carts. Once the formality of the action is over, the situation returns to "as it was" within a few hours.

Citizens are now asking a direct question. Food is being cooked in the open on gas cylinders on a main road. If a major accident or cylinder blast happens tomorrow, who will take responsibility? The police administration, or the senior police inspector of the area? And why does the corporation not seize such carts and settle the matter permanently, instead of imposing a token fine?

The fast food stalls operating on highways and major junctions at night have also led to more movement of drunks and anti-social elements. Crowds of customers until late at night, haphazard parking and obstructions on the road could make the traffic problem serious. Concern has also been expressed in some places over the growing presence of drunks and anti-social elements. Night patrolling and surveillance in these areas therefore need to be stepped up.