More demolitions in parts of south Delhi; drive aborted at Seelampur

NEW DELHI: Demolition drives against illegal encroachments were carried out across the city on Wednesday, with structures cleared in south Delhi’s Meharchand Market, Lodhi Colony, Ayanagar and Chhatarpur, although officials had to abort their attempt at northeast Delhi’s Seelampur, with the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) saying it did not have adequate police backup.

South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) officials said they mostly removed roadside encroachments in Madhu Vihar colony near Dwarka Sector 3; Chaukhandi, near Janakpuri; Aya Nagar, Chhatarpur , Meharchand market, and Sai Temple near Lodhi Colony. They said unlike other areas, bulldozers were not deployed in Lodhi Colony where teams acted against roadside vends and small open-air carts near the Sai Baba temple complex.

At Seelampur, an area considered sensitive, EDMC said heavy encroachments were marked to be removed on Wednesday, but the police reinforcements provided were not enough.

“Our team reached the Seelampur police station for assistance. But, two or three policement would not have been enough. The corporation will try to carry out the drive again with proper police backup,” said EDMC mayor Shyam Sunder Aggarwal.

Seelampur is considered sensitive since it was one of the spots where communal clashes took place during the Delhi riots in February, 2020.

Aggarwal said the civic body removed encroachments on the stretch between Karkardooma and Rishabh Vihar, where he said one bulldozer and eight trucks were deployed.

Encroachment removal drives, otherwise a routine function of the municipal corporations, have come under the scanner after the North MCD’S controversial demolition drive in Jahangirpuri on April 20, days after communal clashes were reported from the area. Opposition parties blamed

AYA NAGAR

the BJP, which rules the three municipal corporations, for allegedly targeting a particular community, an allegation the party and the civic bodies have denied.

The northeast Delhi locality has rampant encroachment, specially along the roadside leading to recurrent traffic jams, mayor Aggarwal said.

“I have already written to the Delhi Police commissioner to seek his co-operation in these drives, and have asked him to direct his to ensure that the encroachers do not return,” he added.

A senior police officer said the municipal corporation sought permission for a “routine drive” and adequate force was provided for it, but when they reached the spot with earthmovers, they said they wanted to conduct a “heavy drive”.

“More force is required for a large scale drive since it is a sensitive area. Hence, they were stopped,” the officer said.

SDMC teams removed street vendors near the Sai Baba temple complex and cleared temporary structures near the Meharchand market. Some claimed their cases were pending in the court and they had papers to prove they were not

CHAUKHANDI

running their businesses illegally.

Ashok Sakhuja, who heads the Meharchand market association said that vendors were not there since they knew about the drive. Local AAP MLA Madan Lal (Kasturba Nagar constituency) visited the market and said the drive was “the last attempt” by the Bjp-ruled MCDS to harass people before their terms end this month.

Delhi Congress vice-president Abhishek Dutt also visited the area and said, “Bulldozers should be run on inflation and unemployment, not on the houses and shops of poor people.”

A team of MCD staff from the Najafgarh zone reached the 1.2km stretch starting from Aakash hospital to Madhu Vihar bus terminal on Wednesday morning with a bulldozer and 20 labourers. They removed illegal extensions made over the roadside drain such as ramps and staircases by several shopkeepers.

Monu Kumar, a furniture shop owner, said the “pick and choose policy” should stop. “Either all the outlets with extensions should be removed or nobody should be touched,” he added.

Teams of SDMC officials also removing temporary structures in Chaukhandi, Sabzi Mandi, Janakpuri and the area surrounding the Janakpuri district centre.

The teams removed items such as counter tops, carts, cylinders, benches and one vehicle. Some local traders alleged that they were not given legal notices.

Shveta Saini, west zone chairman, said local residents protested in Janakpuri. “We have only removed illegal structures and kiosks. We will continue our crackdown,” she added. Structures were also cleared in Aya Nagar and Chhatarpur.