South Delhi RWAs oppose move to keep colony gates open 24x7
The RWAs across the city have planned a joint action against the move and decided to approach the civic bodies, the government and the Delhi Police on the issue.
The South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s (SDMC) direction to Lajpat Nagar-III to keep their colony gates open 24x7 has not gone well with other Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) across the city. Many resident bodies across the city have opposed the move saying that it was practically “not feasible”.
South corporation officials had stated that the move might be replicated in other colonies as well, if it was successful in Lajpat Nagar-III.
The RWAs across the city have planned a joint action against the move and decided to approach the civic bodies, the government and the Delhi Police on the issue.
“This move is not feasible as it will lead to chaos. The need to put up gates arises because of security and encroachment issues. The police have failed to provide adequate security and the municipal corporations could not stop the colony streets from being encroached by the squatters,” Ashutosh Dikshit, CEO of United Residents’ Joint Action (URJA), said.
He said that there was no clear policy for the functioning of RWAs on many issues and the residents’ bodies were becoming an easy target to be blamed for any mess. “Instead of issuing such directives, the authorities should talk to RWAs and modify the regulations of gating policy through consultations,” Dikshit said.
Rajiv Kakria, convener of Save the City, a group of RWAs and civil society members, said, “We will soon write to the municipal corporations, the police and other enforcement agencies. We will ask the SDMC to come up with a policy which the RWAs can afford to implement, as the current plan is completely impractical.”
The SDMC had on Wednesday directed the Lajpat Nagar-III RWA to keep all 15 gates of the residential colony open 24x7 to ensure that movement of emergency vehicles — such as ambulance and fire tenders — is not hindered and also to deter haphazard parking in the area.
A survey was conducted in pursuance with the Supreme Court order to regularise parking in residential areas and develop Lajpat Nagar, Krishna Nagar and Kamla Nagar as model neighbourhoods in connection with parking and traffic management.
“The RWAs are happy to do away with gates provided the police and the SDMC perform their duties, for which citizens pay taxes. Both the SDMC and the police have shied away from framing a sensible policy for installation of gates. The fire fighters often get stuck due to haphazardly parked vehicles and not due to the gates in the colonies,” Kakria said.
He added that safety of people in the residential neighbourhoods was an issue.
BS Vohra, president of an umbrella group of east Delhi RWAs, said that gates in the colonies are put only as compulsion because the police do not take adequate measures to ensure security.
“The SDMC’s directives are not practically possible to implement. Vehicle theft and stealing of motor parts is a very common problem RWAs face. The RWAs do not have enough funds to deploy guards at all the gates in the neighbourhood. The civic agencies should provide funds or manpower if they wat us to keep the gates open,” he said.
Vohra added that often it is seen that visitors coming to the market park their vehicles in residential colonies so no option is left but to restrict the entry.