Shivaji Park ice seller feels the chills as residents spar over his trade

A senior civic official from BMC’s anti-encroachment department that carried out the action, said, “We acted on a complaint from Shivaji Park police station regarding ice being stored on municipal space, which is not allowed. Hence, we broke the ice block. We will keep a watch on this space”

Mumbai: On Monday an ice seller who has been carrying on his trade from a spot in Shivaji Park, Dadar, since 20 years, was taken aback when officers from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) smashed a fresh block of ice at 3pm, based on complaints made by residents of the neighbourhood that he was selling contaminated stock.

Shivaji Park ice seller feels the chills as residents spar over his trade

Interestingly, while a set of residents want the ice seller, Ramu Yadav, removed from the footpath where he stores the ice, another group has chosen to stand by him, will full knowledge that his stock is often soiled. While brothers Madhukar Prabhu, 72, and Anmol Prabhu, 70, have been steadily escalating complaints against Yadav to the civic body and police, alleging that “dogs come and pee on his ice which are sold to golawalas”, those supporting him said he should not be dislodged from the spot “where his father and uncle started the business”.

A senior civic official from BMC’s anti-encroachment department that carried out the action, said, “We acted on a complaint from Shivaji Park police station regarding ice being stored on municipal space, which is not allowed. Hence, we broke the ice block. We will keep a watch on this space.”

“The ice truck leaves an ice block at around 4am on the footpath. Dogs come and pee on it. The barafwala cuts it and sells it in the area throughout the day,” said Madhukar. “People come here and have golas and sharbat, which is unhygienic.” Another resident of the neighborhood, Lalit Seth, had tweeted a picture of a dog relieving himself beside an ice block on April 29. BMC acted on their collective complaint on Monday.

An elderly woman who has been a resident of Shanti Sadan building since 1971, in front of which Yadav stations his bicycle, said in his defence: “Ramu’s family has been selling ice from here for over 50 years. Everyone knows and can see that dogs pee, yet they buy drinks where this ice is used. Why is it that the brothers, who live a few buildings away, have a problem with him all of a sudden?” The senior citizen did not mince her words saying “some people may have a malicious intent.”

A panic-stricken Yadav shared that the “two brothers asked me a few days ago not to sit here anymore” and defended himself saying the residents had never objected to him using this spot for business. “They then called the police, who threatened me with a fine of ₹1,200 if I continued,” said Yadav. The residents of Shanti Sadan defended him against the police, claiming the Prabhu brothers were attempting to extort money from Yadav, which the ice hawker refused to confirm.

“I’m now keeping a distance from this neighbourhood. I come here only when I need to take ice. I have even apologised to them (the brothers),” he said. He added that he delivers blocks of ice for keeping fish, aamras, milk and water bottles cool, and washes it prior to the deliveries. “The gola and sharbat walas only take my ice on the rare occasion, when they fall short,” he said, showing the ice block ready for dispatch, covered by over 15 layers of plastic and cloth.

Yadav, who is physically challenged, lives in Mahim, while his family, consisting of his mother, wife and four daughters live in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. He took over the ice selling spot around 20 years ago while in the second year of MA, after his father became ill. “I learnt the trade as I would help my father out as a child, chipping ice for ₹5 while my father drove the bullock cart as fridges weren’t common then,” he said.

He earns between ₹300 to ₹400 a day from selling the ice, and ₹6,000 a month by delivering milk.