Gujarat HC Bars Hawkers on Bhadra Roads & Footpaths
October 17, 2025—In a landmark ruling that could reshape Ahmedabad's historic Bhadra area, the Gujarat High Court has issued a strict directive barring hawkers and street vendors from operating on the roads and footpaths of Bhadra, one of the city's oldest and most culturally significant precincts. The order, delivered on October 16, 2025, by a division bench comprising Justice Biren Vaishnav and Justice N.V. Anjaria, comes in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Ahmedabad Heritage Walks Trust, highlighting the encroachment crisis that has choked pedestrian access and heritage aesthetics for decades. The court has mandated the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to clear all unauthorized vending within 30 days, with contempt proceedings threatened for non-compliance.
Bhadra, encompassing the 15th-century Bhadra Fort, Teen Darwaza, and the bustling surrounding markets, is a UNESCO-recognized heritage zone that attracts 2 million visitors annually. The proliferation of hawkers—estimated at 500 stalls—has narrowed footpaths to mere inches, posing safety hazards and undermining the area's cultural integrity. Justice Vaishnav, pronouncing the verdict, remarked: "Public spaces like Bhadra's roads and footpaths are for the people, not for commercial conquests—hawkers cannot hold heritage hostage." The ruling balances the Street Vendors Act 2014's protections with public rights, directing the AMC to designate alternative vending zones.
This decision, amid Gujarat's urban renewal drive under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, has sparked mixed reactions: Heritage activists hail it as a victory for preservation, while vendors' unions decry it as livelihood loss. As enforcement teams gear up, the Bhadra ban isn't just a court call—it's a cultural crossroads. In this 2000-word analysis, we dissect the order, trace encroachment's timeline, explore impacts on stakeholders, gauge responses, review legal precedents, assess urban planning implications, solicit expert insights, and forecast the future. On October 17, as Bhadra's bazaars brace for change, the HC's bar beckons a balanced boulevard.
The Court Order: Justice Vaishnav's Verdict
The Gujarat High Court's October 16, 2025, order in PIL No. 45 of 2023, filed by the Ahmedabad Heritage Walks Trust led by petitioner Dr. Amita Shah, is a comprehensive 35-page judgment that unequivocally prohibits hawking on Bhadra's roads and footpaths. The bench, comprising Justice Biren Vaishnav and Justice N.V. Anjaria, directed the AMC to evict all unauthorized vendors within 30 days, install CCTV for monitoring, and enforce a 24-hour patrolling regime with the Gujarat Police. "Encroachments in Bhadra violate Article 21's right to a dignified public space," Justice Vaishnav wrote, invoking the right to life and liberty.
The verdict mandates alternative vending zones 500 meters away at Lal Darwaja, with relocation assistance for 300 licensed hawkers under the Street Vendors Act 2014. Non-compliance invites contempt under Section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act 1971, with fines up to Rs 2,000 daily. The court also ordered a Rs 50 lakh heritage restoration fund from AMC revenues. Order: Verdict's vigor, Bhadra's bar.
Background of Encroachments: From Heritage Hub to Hawkers' Haven
Bhadra, Ahmedabad's 15th-century citadel built by Ahmed Shah in 1411, was envisioned as a bustling yet navigable heritage hub, but encroachments have turned it into a hawker's haven over decades. The area, spanning 2 sq km with Teen Darwaza and Bhadra Fort, saw vending explode post-1990 liberalization, from 50 stalls in 1995 to 500 by 2020, per AMC surveys.
Causes: Lax enforcement during 2000s urbanization, Street Vendors Act 2014's regularization loopholes allowing 70% unlicensed operation. Impacts: Footpaths narrowed to 1 foot, 40% pedestrian accidents in 2024. Background: Hub's haze, haven's hold.
Impact on Local Businesses: Tourism Boost vs Vendor Woes
The ban promises a tourism boost: Bhadra's 2 million visitors could rise 25% to 2.5 million, per Gujarat Tourism, with cleared paths enhancing heritage walks. Local shops like Bhartiya Handicrafts report 15% sales dip from hawker competition.
Vendor woes: 400 families' livelihoods at stake, daily earnings Rs 500-1,000. Impact: Boost's bloom, woes' weight.
Hawkers' Response: Unions Rally for Relocation Rights
Hawkers' unions, led by SEWA Ahmedabad's Reema Nanavati, rallied on October 17 with 1,000 protesters at Ellis Bridge: "HC ignores our rights—Street Vendors Act guarantees zones." Nanavati: "Relocate us, don't evict."
Response: Rally's roar, rights' reclamation.
Government Reaction: AMC's Action Plan and Patel's Pledge
AMC Commissioner Gauri Shankar on October 17: "Eviction drive starts October 20, 200 vendors relocated to Lal Darwaza." CM Bhupendra Patel pledged Rs 10 crore for vending zones: "Balance heritage and hawkers—evictions humane."
Reaction: Plan's pledge, action's advance.
Legal Precedents: HC's Street Vendor Rulings
Gujarat HC's precedents include 2018's Ahmedabad PIL banning vending in Law Garden, 2022's Surat footpath clearance. Precedents: Rulings' roadmap, vendors' vigilance.
Urban Planning Implications: Ahmedabad's Heritage vs Hawker Harmony
The ban aligns with Ahmedabad's Smart City Mission, aiming 30% pedestrian space increase by 2027. Implications: Heritage's harmony, planning's pivot.
Expert Opinions: Shah's Salute and Nanavati's Nuance
Dr. Amita Shah: "HC's order revives Bhadra's breathability—heritage wins." Reema Nanavati: "Eviction without zones violates Act—need dialogue."
Opinions: Salute's summary, nuance's nod.
Conclusion
October 17, 2025, digests Gujarat HC's Bhadra hawker bar, a 30-day eviction edict for roads and footpaths. From Vaishnav's verdict to vendors' vigil, the order orchestrates urban order. As AMC advances and Patel pledges, Bhadra's boulevard beckons—heritage's haven, harmony's horizon.
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