Encroachments fall, only to rise again
BACK TO SQUARE ONE Hours after officials turned their backs, hawkers were back on roads, eateries were running from pavements and shops were squatting illegally as usual GOVINDPURI
NEW DELHI: Days after a special task force tasked to remove encroachments from the roads and markets on the Supreme Court’s orders launched a drive against squatters, illegal vendors and illegally parked cars, a large majority of them were back in business on Thursday.
Hours after the enforcement teams turned their backs, cars were seen clogging up the roads, and hawkers had re-established their makeshift setups on the remains of the demolished sections of the shops. In many other areas, hawkers appeared to be more alert and even the sight or rumours about the presence of officials in the area prompted them to pack their goods and temporarily flee.
RK PURAM (DRIVE CONDUCTED ON TUESDAY)
At Vivekanand Marg and Church Road in RK Puram, the licensing department of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) had removed 12 temporary structures, six clay ovens, 10 wooden counters and among other structures on Tuesday.
When HT visited the site two days later, hawkers had built new structures. Shopkeepers had reconstructed roofs that had been demolished only two days ago.
“Come back after a week and you will find that everything is back to how it was originally. The drive is just an eyewash exercise,” said Ankit Gupta, a resident of RK Puram, Sector 2.
“In the evening, you will barely find any space to walk here. Unless these anti-encroachment drives are carried in regular intervals, nothing is going to improve,” Gupta added.
Citing Supreme Court scrutiny, municipality officials refused to go on record, but on condition of anonymity, one of them said that all record and evidence of every action taken under the encroachment drive is sent to local police for follow-up action. “It is their responsibility to ensure that no squatter comes back,” he said.
Delhi Police spokesperson Madhur Verma said that they will initiate regular drives to check that these squatters do not return. “Under the Delhi Police Act, we can take preventive action by confiscating the goods of repeat offenders. However, we prefer to keep the municipalities in the loop during these drives,” he said.
MAA ANANDMAYEE MARG, GOVINDPURI (DRIVE ON WEDNESDAY)
The Govindpuri market, which has several tyre shops and car workshops, appeared to have been rebuilt overnight. Fruit vendors and makeshift eateries were found to be back in the service lanes.
“A repair shop owner with just a 6x4 sq-foot kiosk was seen encroaching upon entire road in front of their shop. All the vehicles coming for repair purposes are usually parked back-to-back on roads. This leaves no place for residents to go inside the colony,” said Mangal Singh, a resident of Govindpuri.
NETAJI SUBHASH MARG, (DRIVE CONDUCTED TUESDAY)
The chaotic road outside the Red Fort had some moving space for pedestrians and drivers after Tuesday’s anti-encroachment drive. However, going further down towards Chandni Chowk on the Gurudwara Road, traffic snarls continued as cycle and battery operated rickshaw were randomly parked on the roadside.
The North Corporation had lifted 17 vehicles near Red Fort on Netaji Subhash Marg on Tuesday. These vehicles were again parked illegally on roadsides on Thursday.
Shop owners in Chandni Chowk said that the removal of hawkers from outside their shops have increased accessibility to their shops for now.
“Our shops are on the main road, but the hawkers set their shops in front of the entrance blocking it. We have to stand on pavements and call out customers,” said Saahil Sinha, the owner of a clothing shop.
An official from the North Corporation’s licensing department, who is involved in the antiencroachment drive, said vehicles of visitors are parked on the road outside the Red Fort, which causes chaos. The coming of the Metro station has also attracted dozens of cycle and battery rickshaws, who park around the station, they said.
NEW DELHI RAILWAY STATION (DRIVE CONDUCTED TUESDAY)
On Tuesday, the North Delhi Corporation had freed 0.70 kilometre of footpath space from the New Delhi Railway Station to Desh Bandhu Gupta Road at Paharganj.
However, on Thursday, it appeared as if no any encroachment drive had ever been carried here. Merely two days after the drive, major chunks of the road opposite the entrance of New Delhi Metro station was clogged with e-rickshwas and autos. No visible improvement could be seen outside Kamla Market as well.