Delhi: Anti-encroachment drives continue, bulldozers roll through 6 areas

The anti-encroachment drives were undertaken in several areas, including Goyal Dairy in Najafgarh, Vishu Garden in west zone, Prem Nagar in Karol Bagh, Samaypur Badli in Rohini, and Krishna Nagar in east Delhi

The bulldozers and enforcement teams from the three municipal corporations targeted six neighbourhoods on Friday and razed hundreds of illegal hutments, temporary structures, street vends and ramp/staircase extensions on footpaths.

Anti-encroachment drive at Khyala Road on Friday. (ANI)

The anti-encroachment drives were undertaken in several areas, including Goyal Dairy in Najafgarh, Vishu Garden in west zone, Prem Nagar in Karol Bagh, Samaypur Badli in Rohini, and Krishna Nagar in east Delhi. The drive planned in Bawana JJ Colony could not be conducted for want of police force protection.

A senior official from licensing department of South Delhi Municipal Corproation (SDMC) said two drives were undertaken in west and Najafgarh zones on Friday and 3,400 square metres (sqm) of land was cleared of encroachments.

“The colonies covered under the drive included Gopal Nagar, Dhichau Kalan, Roshanpura, Subhash Nagar and Vishnu Garden. The drive in Najafgarh freed up 2,000 sqm of area, and 13 items have been seized. In Goyla Dairy, we have demolished 15 illegal rooms, 42 tin sheds and six staircases. This area has been witnessing encroachments for a long time,” the official said, asking not to be named.

North Delhi Municipal Corporation undertook its encroachment removal drives from near Samaypur Badli Metro station up to Rohini Sector 18 Metro station and Prem Nagar in Karol Bagh. But the drive planned in a slum colony of Bawana could not be executed due to non-availability of police force, the north corporation commissioner Sanjay Goel said.

“During the encroachment removal drive in Rohini, from Samaypur Badli Metro Station to Sector 18 Metro station, 75 temporary structures and jhuggies were removed. During the drive along the 1.3km stretch, we seized six wooden tables and wooden boards and six dumpers. Six truck loads of debris was removed from the site,” Goel said. About 1,300 metres was freed up on both sides of the road, he said.

The drive in Prem Nagar and Gali Number 6 in Karol Bagh freed up around 1,000 sqm of land. “After the removal of garbage from the site, levelling work of the entire plot has started,” the commissioner said.

He said encroachment removal drive is a routine process and the action is an attempt to clear walkways and roads from encroachments to ease traffic flow and pedestrian movement .

East Delhi

East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) carried out an encroachment removal drive in Krishna Nagar area and Jheel Chowk and cleared up 2km of road space. EDMC mayor Shyam Sunder Aggarwal said a heavy police force was present during the drive and that helped control the encroachers who resisted the drive.

“We have removed wooden counters, plastic drums, carts, trolleys etc from the footpaths at Jheel Chowk. In the Krishna Nagar drive, we focused on a belt along Rupa Dairy where street vendors had encroached on public space. We will continue to take such action till east Delhi’s roads are free of encroachments,” he said.