Angry businessmen, residents and even schools, banks and other establishments in the area today submitted a memorandum to the civic authorities urging them to reconsider the decision.

``BMC never consulted any of the residents or the merchants associations before declaring V P Road a hawkers zone. Childern and the elderly already have a problem walking on the footpaths due the existing vegetable and fruit vendors. Bringing more hawkers will create chaos and worsen the congestion in this densely populated area,'' said Dalpatbhai Choudhary, president, C P Tank and V P Road Merchants Association.

The average width of the footpaths is around five feet, which leaves an area of only about 30 feet for V P Road. Apart from the regular flow of private water tankers, cabs, and handcarts, the BEST plies its buses on three routes through the road and several places are used as pick-up stops by school buses. The presence of five schools, a cluster of temples and a church, four public halls, three hospitals and banks each, apart from V P Road police station and Girgaon post office, only add to the traffic problems.

Describing the decision as ``unreasonable and illogical,'' Choudhary said the merchants came to know about the BMC move only on September 1, when officials came to demarcate 5x4 feet plots along footpaths on both sides of the road. The authorities have kept a space of only one foot between the plots, and residents complain it will be even difficult to walk once hawkers move in.

``We met our local corporator Anant Palekar, MLA Mohan Raichura and went to the D ward office to lodge our protest. Though the ward officer gave us a patient hearing and also showed us the plan of the hawking zone on V P Road, he expressed his helplessness in stopping the work,'' he added.

The residents and representatives of merchants associations have also met deputy mayor Gopal Shetty, who assured he will oppose the issue in a meeting of the MiC. ``But nothing has been done yet,'' said Talakshibhai Furia, the owner of Valeri sari shop.

In a letter to the ward office, senior manager of the South Indian Bank Ltd has said that V P Road is a ``sensitive security zone and the establishment of the hawkers zone will make the position of the bank and its customers extremely vulnerable.''

Ward officer Mehta has called for one more meeting on September 11 to discuss the suggestions and objections put up by residents.

The hawkers' zones are being demarcated in the entire city to decongest areas near the railway station. Even the Supreme Court had directed BMC to set up hawking zones to ease traffic congestiion and the problem of overcrowding on major roads in Mumbai.