The elevated Metro stations may have attained the distinction of the cleanest public infrastructure in the city, but chaos and squalor thrive on the ground below the transit points.

Commuters say the spots are filled with hawkers, leaving them with little space to move about. The areas have become vendors' paradise and pedestrians' hell, say citizens.

The street vendors have entered areas that had been marked restricted by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) before the opening of the Metro services. The idea was to let commuters enter and exit station premises with ease.

While the MMRDA and the BMC had announced that they would jointly maintain the areas under the Metro stations, a visit to Andheri or Saki Naka or Ghatkopar tells a different story. For instance, Saki Naka station area is infested with street vendors, which is restricting both vehicular as well as pedestrian movements.

A hawker, who recently shifted here, said, "My earlier place had a temporary roof. Here, the elevated Metro tracks will save me from heat and rain. As a large number of people use the services, I'm doing brisk business."

Metro commuter Shishir Shetty said though he is happy with the transport system for ease of commuting, the hawkers spoil the party. "If timely action is not taken against these vendors, it will be very difficult to deal with them at a later stage as it may turn into a political hot potato."

Dilip Kawathkar, joint director of MMRDA, didn't respond to queries.

Another local resident said the encroachment by hawkers is a planned move by property mafias to grab prime lands. "The hawkers are not afraid of any agencies. They are greasing the right palms."