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Ludhiana MC anti-encroachment drive: Bulldozers flatten eight shops near Buddha Nullah amid protests
Police use mild force to disperse angry protesters; Ludhiana MC officials say the move will smoothen traffic flow, curb waste disposal in Buddha Nullah
City municipal corporation’s anti-encroachment staff razed eight illegal shops near Buddha Nullah in Shivpuri area amid stern protests on Wednesday.
The developments began at 9 am in the morning when a civic body team led by assistant town planner (ATP) Mohan Singh reached Shivaji Nagar and asked a shopkeeper operating at an illegal fish market and slaughter broiler to vacate their establishment.
The team was met with stiff opposition from shopkeepers including Ashok Kumar and Raju, who also run their businesses in the area. The group said they have been setting up shop near the Buddha Nullah since the 1980s and produced land records that they said substantiate their claims.
While talking to the media, Mohan Singh conceded that the shopkeepers were issued a notice on December 9, urging them to vacate encroachment and were warned of departmental action.
That, however, did not affect the impasse and the protest grew in strength over the course of Wednesday.
The situation escalated with leaders from the opposition parties — the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) joined the protesting shopkeepers.
Lambasting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, BJP leader Yashpal Chaudhary said they had come into power with the promise of bringing change, but have now resorted to livelihood from the poor.
At around 4 pm, however, police teams swung into action and dispersed the angry crowd of protestors as earthmovers employed by the civic body demolished the structures.
Police resorted to mild force after some of the protesters threw bricks at the team. No injury was reported in the incident, but a shopkeeper was rushed to hospital after complaining of chest pains.
BJP’s state unit treasurer Gurdev Sharma Debi, Dalit leader Yashpal Chaudhary, SAD’s Vijay Danav were among those pushed and shoved amid the commotion as police dispersed the angry protesters using lathis.
The drive was carried out in the presence of executive magistrate representatives.
Addressing the developments, municipal commissioner Shena Aggarwal said the encroachments were being removed as a part of the larger project to rejuvenate the buddha nullah.
“The remaining encroachments alongside the nullah will also be removed in the coming days. Building branch officials have been directed to expedite the process,” she added.
Civic body officials said, apart from disrupting the flow of traffic, the shopkeepers encroaching upon the land near the nullah have also been involved in illegal disposal of waste in the waterbody — becoming one of major contributors to the rising pollution levels.
Notably, encroachments have met with the same fate in other areas including New Kundanpuri, Bajwa Nagar, Upkar Nagar in the recent past as well.
Residents, commuters hail MC
Residents of Shivpuri, Basant Nagar, Gandhi Nagar and Fatehgarh Mohalla, meanwhile, hailed the civic body’s move, with many saying the illegal fish market had been operating in unhygienic conditions and had turned the locality into a major traffic bottleneck on Shivpuri.
The residents added that they had long been demanding action against encroachments.
Satprakash and Brij Bhushan, both residents of Shivpuri, said it was difficult for them even to cross the area due to foul smell and frequent traffic jams.
“Complaints were also submitted with the MC in the past and the action on Wednesday has come as a huge respite for the area residents,” they added.
Opposition slams move
SAD’s Danav, however, criticised the drive and the government’s alleged pick-and-choose policy, adding, “Only the shops of Dalits and the poor have been razed, while there is a large number of illegal constructions on both sides of the buddha nullah. These include factories of some influential leaders.”
“Besides, some religious places have also encroached upon the land of Buddha Nullah but the civic body is turning blind eye towards all such encroachments and targeting the poor and Dalits. Law is equal to all if these shops are being razed then all similar action should be taken against the influential encroachers,” he added.
