Authorities have removed 118 unauthorised street-vending units from areas under the Thrikkakara municipality near Kochi, following a High Court directive and a special inspection that began around midnight on Wednesday. The operation covered Kakkanad, the Seaport–Airport Road, Civil Line, IMG Junction, Mavelipuram and NGO Quarters.
A municipal squad dismantled roadside food stalls, along with several flagpoles and advertising boards installed by political parties, according to a report by Madhyamam. Only shops holding temporary licences issued by the municipality have been allowed to continue operating.
The municipality said action was taken against stalls that had not been removed despite warnings and against establishments over which complaints of drug transactions had been raised. The report did not identify the specific complaints or provide details of any arrests or criminal cases linked to the operation.
Shop owners and political parties that had installed unauthorised flagpoles and boards were issued notices and fined, according to the report. The action brings several types of roadside occupation under a single municipal enforcement drive, including vending structures, political displays and commercial advertising.
The operation is the third demolition drive led by the municipality against unauthorised street-vending centres in six months. The repeated action indicates that earlier removals and warnings had not permanently cleared the affected locations, although the municipality’s report did not provide details of how many vendors had returned or whether rehabilitation arrangements were offered.
The affected stretches include some of Kakkanad’s key roads and junction areas, where roadside activity can directly influence pedestrian movement and the use of public space. The report, however, does not specify the number of vendors who held temporary licences, the criteria for granting those licences or whether alternative vending locations have been designated.
The municipality has said that inspections and removals will continue over the coming days. Further enforcement will determine whether the latest action becomes a sustained regulation of roadside commerce or another cycle of removal and reoccupation. The immediate next step announced by the civic body is continued inspection across the municipality’s jurisdiction.
