Laitumkhrah has long been one of Shillong’s most vital neighborhoods — a hub of education, healthcare, government offices, businesses, and community life. Laitumkhrah hosts Nazareth Hospital, several Government and Private offices, and thousands of businesses and residents. It also hosts 25 educational institutions, including three special schools for the differently-abled, each with approximately 2,600 students. These schools represent thousands of young students and their families who rely on safe and accessible streets for daily commuting.

Every day, over 50,000 people — students, parents, healthcare workers, office staff, tourists, and residents — rely on the roads and footpaths of Laitumkhrah.

However, the situation today has become dangerous and unsustainable.
The unchecked and illegal occupation of public spaces by over 100 hawkers has turned our once orderly streets into unsafe, congested, and chaotic thoroughfares.

*If you or your loved ones have ever been injured, harassed, or caught in an incident caused by street hawker congestion in Laitumkhrah, we urge you to kindly fill out this form and help us document these cases*

LINK: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1QaqRwy3coqnvVXwo8P1_5nUGTv9JPDe1RnjabP5TeZE/preview

📌 What’s Happening:

• Roads and footpaths have been encroached upon by hawkers’ stalls, leaving very less road space for vehicles, including ambulances.
• Footpaths meant for pedestrians — especially for children, the elderly, and differently-abled individuals — are now unsafe and blocked.
• Businesses are suffering — most have shut down and many suffer revenue drops of up to 45% — as hawkers set up shop right at their entrances, blocking access and visibility.
• Numerous cases of harassment, accidents, and even molestation have gone unreported as overcrowding and lack of regulation continue.
• The specially-abled community has spoken out about the indignities and dangers they face daily. In emergencies, critical services like ambulance movement are obstructed — risking lives.

 
📌 Why This Matters:

The needs and safety of tens of thousands of law-abiding citizens cannot be sacrificed for the interests of a small, unregulated group.
This is not a question of livelihood versus law — it’s a question of fairness, public safety, and restoring the livability of one of Shillong’s most important localities.

 
📌 What We’re Asking:

We, the residents, business owners, parents, commuters, educational institutions, healthcare workers, and youth of Laitumkhrah, respectfully appeal to the concerned authorities:

• Immediately clear and regulate the illegal occupation of public roads and footpaths by unlicensed hawkers.
• Relocate vendors to designated vending zones that do not compromise public safety, business operations, or emergency access.
• Enforce existing civic laws and restore order and safety to Laitumkhrah for the benefit of all.
   

📌 Join Us — Sign This Petition!
This is our home. This is where our children go to school, where we work, where patients seek care, and where communities come together.
We must protect it.

Help us sign this petition and demand a safe, fair, and walkable Laitumkhrah for everyone.

Click On This Link To Access Our Original Document (With Sources & Pictures)

🔗https://docs.google.com/document/d/1owARdwaE528iCztLaJZ9wQPE8ZrSaKdt6ys0ZE6cNdY/edit?usp=sharing