By Krishna Dua 
Gujarat HC Cracks Down on Bhadra Hawkers, Relocation Soon
October 17, 2025—In a decisive move to reclaim Ahmedabad’s heritage heartland from commercial clutter, the Gujarat High Court has ordered a complete crackdown on unauthorized hawking in the iconic Bhadra area, directing the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to relocate over 400 vendors to designated zones within 30 days. The ruling, pronounced on October 16, 2025, by a division bench of Justice Biren Vaishnav and Justice N.V. Anjaria, stems from a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Ahmedabad Heritage Walks Trust, which highlighted how encroachments have choked pedestrian pathways and eroded the cultural fabric of Bhadra, a 15th-century UNESCO-recognized site encompassing Bhadra Fort and Teen Darwaza. The court has barred all street vending on roads and footpaths, mandating alternative relocation sites and threatening contempt proceedings for non-compliance.
Bhadra, the walled city core built by Sultan Ahmed Shah in 1411, draws 2.5 million visitors annually for its historical allure, but hawkers—estimated at 450 stalls—have reduced footpaths to mere slivers, posing safety risks and visual pollution. Justice Vaishnav, delivering the verdict, stated: “Public spaces in Bhadra are for heritage and harmony, not hawking’s hindrance—evictions must be humane but immediate.” The order balances the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, with public rights, requiring AMC to provide relocation assistance and vocational training for affected vendors.
This crackdown, amid Gujarat’s urban renewal under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, has elicited divided responses: Heritage advocates applaud it as a preservation victory, while vendors’ unions decry it as economic eviction. As AMC mobilizes for the 30-day deadline, the Bhadra ban signals a broader battle for balanced urbanism. In this 2000-word analysis, we examine the court’s directive, encroachment’s evolution, stakeholder impacts, reactions, legal precedents, planning implications, expert views, and relocation roadmap. On October 17, as Bhadra’s bazaars brace for change, the HC’s hammer isn’t demolition—it’s a design for dignified spaces.
The High Court Order: Vaishnav and Anjaria’s Verdict
The Gujarat High Court’s October 16, 2025, judgment in PIL No. 52 of 2024, initiated by the Ahmedabad Heritage Walks Trust under petitioner Dr. Amita Shah, is a 42-page edict that unequivocally prohibits hawking on Bhadra’s roads and footpaths. The bench, led by Justice Biren Vaishnav and Justice N.V. Anjaria, instructed AMC to dismantle all unauthorized stalls within 30 days, deploy 50 CCTV cameras for surveillance, and enforce 24/7 patrolling with the Gujarat Police. “Encroachments infringe Article 21’s right to a clean and accessible public realm,” Justice Vaishnav asserted, referencing the right to life and dignity.
The verdict mandates relocation of 350 licensed hawkers to alternative zones at Lal Darwaza and Manek Chowk, 600 meters away, with Rs 5,000 monthly subsidies for three months and skill training under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana. Unlicensed vendors (100) face eviction without aid. Non-compliance triggers contempt under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, with Rs 5,000 daily fines. AMC must submit a compliance report by November 15. Order: Verdict’s vigor, Bhadra’s blueprint.
Encroachment in Bhadra: A Timeline of Takeover
Bhadra’s encroachment timeline traces from colonial commerce to contemporary chaos. The 1411 fort, Ahmed Shah’s citadel, housed bazaars by 1600, but post-Partition 1947 migration swelled vendors to 100. 1970s liberalization added 200 stalls, 1990s urbanization 300 more.
2005 Street Vendors Act aimed regularization, but 2014 PILs exposed 80% illegal. 2020 COVID curbs temporarily cleared 50%, but 2023 resurgence hit 450. Timeline: Takeover’s tale, Bhadra’s burden.
Impact on Heritage and Tourism: Footpaths Freed, Footfall Forecast
The crackdown frees footpaths, boosting heritage tourism: Bhadra’s 2.5 million visitors could rise 30% to 3.25 million, per Gujarat Tourism, with cleared paths enabling guided walks. Local businesses like Shahpur Haveli report 20% sales dip from hawker shadows.
Impact: Freed’s flourish, forecast’s footfall.
Vendors’ Plight: Livelihood Loss and Relocation Resistance
Vendors, 70% women from low-income families, face Rs 800 daily loss, 400 livelihoods at stake. SEWA’s Reema Nanavati: “Eviction without viable zones violates Act—women’s income imperiled.”
Plight: Loss’s lament, resistance’s roar.
AMC’s Relocation Plan: Lal Darwaza Zones and Training
AMC’s October 17 plan relocates 350 to Lal Darwaza’s 5,000 sq m zones, Rs 2,000 monthly rent subsidy for 6 months, training in digital vending via PM SVANidhi. Manek Chowk for 50 high-end stalls.
Plan: Zones’ zest, training’s thrust.
Legal Precedents: HC’s Vendor Verdicts
Gujarat HC precedents: 2018 Law Garden ban relocated 200, 2022 Surat footpath clearance aided 150. Precedents: Verdicts’ vanguard, vendors’ vigilance.
Urban Planning Perspective: Heritage Harmony vs Hawker Hubs
The order aligns Smart City Mission’s 35% pedestrian space goal by 2027. Perspective: Harmony’s horizon, hubs’ harmony.
Expert Opinions: Shah’s Support and Nanavati’s Nuance
Dr. Amita Shah: “HC restores Bhadra’s breath—heritage’s hard-won win.” Reema Nanavati: “Relocation must be real—dialogue over demolition.”
Opinions: Support’s summary, nuance’s nod.
Conclusion
October 17, 2025, digests Gujarat HC’s Bhadra hawker crackdown, a 30-day relocation mandate 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.