Nehru Place Fire Incident: Manushi Sangathan Moves Delhi High Court Challenging Mock Drill Report

Manushi Sangathan, an organization representing 67 hawkers and vendors, has moved the Delhi High Court challenging the mock drill report submitted by Delhi Fire Service in the suo moto case registered last year following a fire incident at a building in the Nehru Place market. 

The mock drill report stated that the time taken by various agencies in reaching the spot was too high thereby indicating that there were significant hindrances due to heavy pedestrian movement, heavy traffic, hawkers and parking problems. Accordingly, the report had recommended that the place may be made a hawker free zone.

In its plea however, Manushi Sangathan has submitted that there have been repeated unlawful attempts by the traders and various government bodies to exclude hawkers and street vendors from Nehru Place District Centre.

Seeking quashing of the said Mock Drill report as not credible, motivated and calculated to cause prejudice to the image of the Street Vendors, the plea avers thus:

"It is unclear, vaguely worded and baseless. It is also not credible as the fire report dated 12.8.2021 on the date of the fire reports that the time of arrival at Nehru Place District Centre was only 1 minute from leaving the fire station. It is in grave violation of the Petitioner vendors' right to non-arbitrariness and non-discriminatory treatment under Article 14, and right to occupation under Article 19(1)(g), livelihood and dignity in such livelihood and reputation under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, apart from the statutory rights of street vendors to participate in redevelopment of commercial spaces / district centres and existing markets such as Nehru Place District Centre."

The plea has been moved through Advocates Indira Unninayar and Nina Bhalla. A bench of Justice Manmohan and Justice Navin Chawla is hearing the matter.

Earlier, observing that Nehru Place market area should not become a slum, the Court had sought suggestions from the South Delhi Municipal Corporation on the management of squatters in the area.

The Court had also added that the said vendors will strictly comply with the terms of hawking and vending, will not have a permanent structure and will be confined to the hawking permitted area.

It had also directed the Delhi Fire Services to conduct a mock drill in the Nehru Place Market, on a working day, for the purpose of identifying shortcomings for the future. Following which, it directed the Delhi Government and Police to earmark a lane for emergency services like ambulance and fire brigades, to ensure unobstructed movement for them.

It had also directed the DDA, Delhi Police and SDMC to ensure that the recommendations and suggestions given by the Delhi Fire Brigade are implemented at the earliest.

The Court had also directed the Delhi Police and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation to implement no hawking and vending policy on a daily basis.

Case Title: COURT ON ITS OWN MOTION v. GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS