Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 16 May 2025
In a startling display of defiance, illegal fruit vendors who were evicted from a designated No-Vending Zone in the School Line area on the afternoon of May 15 were back in business by evening — at the very same spot.
Officials of the Sri Vijaya Puram Municipal Council (SVPMC) were seen clearing the area earlier in the day, confiscating carts and removing vendors operating illegally near the perimeter of the Veer Savarkar International Airport. Trucks were deployed to transport the seized carts, signaling a visible enforcement action.
However, within a span of just a few hours, Nicobar Times witnessed the return of the same vendors — back in place, continuing sales as though no action had taken place. The swift reappearance raises serious questions about the efficacy of the enforcement measures, the strength of local laws, and whether a system of impunity has taken root.
The School Line stretch, where this vending takes place, lies adjacent to the operational runway of Veer Savarkar International Airport — a dual-use facility serving both civilian and defence aircraft. The sale of fruits in open areas close to the runway is a documented aviation hazard due to the increased likelihood of bird attraction, a known cause of aircraft bird strikes.
The potential consequences of such activity are alarming. Bird strikes can inflict severe damage on aircraft, endanger passengers and crew, and result in significant financial losses. The proximity of the vending area to a high-security airport makes the risk even more acute, posing a clear threat to both national defence infrastructure and public safety.
The area has long been classified as a No-Vending Zone precisely to mitigate these risks. Yet, the repeated return of these vendors — often within hours of being evicted — reveals a disturbing pattern of disregard for the law and public safety.
Local residents and observers are left to wonder: Is this a case of weak legislation, lax enforcement, or has the system itself been gamed by those who continue to flout the rules without fear of consequence?
Authorities must now confront the harsh reality that routine evictions are no longer a deterrent. If urgent, sustained, and punitive measures are not adopted, the situation may escalate into a tragedy — one that could have been easily avoided.
The time for symbolic action has passed. What is needed now is lasting enforcement, policy reform, and above all, accountability.