‘Remove encroachments in Lajpat Nagar’

The National Green Tribunal on Tuesday took the Delhi police to task for “making a mess” out of its order to remove encroachments in Lajpat Nagar market in South Delhi in a bid to smoothen traffic movement

Warning the police of action if its directions were not followed, a bench headed by NGT chairperson justice Swatanter Kumar said shopkeepers

The NGT directed the DUSIB to allow a traders' body of the market to park their vehicles at Kasturba Niketan to reduce the traffic volume

were sitting on the footpath covering the road and making it difficult for free vehicular movement.

The NGT rapped the Delhi government for not earmarking designated place for hawkers who were encroaching the streets/roads. “Why don’t you do something? You have made a mess of our order. You have permitted shops on the footpaths, which the vendors have encroached completely. Nobody should sit on the road,” the high court said.

“There is triple lane parking in the Lajpat Nagar market. Tell the traffic police that if there is more than single lane parking, we will take action against them. Show us compliance,” the bench said.

The green panel also directed the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to allow a traders’ body of the market to park their vehicles at Kasturba Niketan to reduce the traffic volume.

The land, which measures around 5,000 square metres at Kasturba Niketan in the Lajpat Nagar locality, was allotted to the traders’ body by the green panel in 2015 in a bid to minimise traffic congestion in the busy marketplace.

The tribunal also directed the shelter improvement body to allot the land as a temporary parking site of vehicles till a multilevel parking was constructed by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation. The traders in their plea said despite the NGT order, DUSIB issued a notice to it in September 2016. Despite numerous representations, DUSIB has not taken any action in this regard.