NDMC deploys 16 teams to prevent littering, illegal hawking along Kartavya Path

An NDMC official said the teams will also focus on encroachment removal and regulating activities of licensed vendors

New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has divided the Kartavya Path into eight zones and deployed 16 teams of 32 civic officials from the public health and enforcement departments across two shifts to prevent littering, spitting, and illegal hawking. Thirty-two civil defence volunteers will assist the teams, which can slap fines ranging from ₹50 to ₹2000. The teams have slapped 95 fines till Wednesday and seized teams such as ice boxes, goods, and ice cream trolleys.

Kartavya Path stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate in New Delhi. (PTI)

An NDMC official said the teams will focus on violations, encroachment removal, and regulating activities of licensed vendors. “Besides the main avenue, they will also focus on adjoining roads and landmarks such as site around Central Secretariat metro station, Man Singh Road, RP Road, Udyog Bhawan.”

NDMC secretary Vikram Singh Malik issued an order on Tuesday constituting the enforcement teams for the effective enforcement of rules on the Kartavya Path and C-hexagon. “District Magistrate, New Delhi district, is also requested to ensure that the deployment of civil defence volunteers for duty in these areas is rationalized as per the zonal plan so as to ensure that two civil defence volunteers per zone per shift are available to assist the teams,” Malik said in a letter.

NDMC said it has removed 57 encroachments and 167 items such as posters, banners, and hoardings from the Kartavya Path until Wednesday besides seizing soft drink vans, water pumps, and other vending instruments.

The civic teams imposed 18 challans on Wednesday, taking the overall number of fines issued to over 110. Another 30 items were seized by the enforcement teams, including cylinders, water pumps, tables, water trolleys and other vending items.

The sub-divisional magistrate New Delhi district on Wednesday issued a list of 32 civil defence volunteers who will be assisting the NDMC teams in two shifts enforcing the regulations at the redeveloped central vista. “Civil defence volunteers are deployed for duty to assist the teams of NDMC for effective enforcement on Kartavya Path,” the order from district civil defence office said.

NDMC vice chairman Satish Upadhyay on Saturday said the civic body has initiated the process for allowing around 120 street vendors to sell ice cream, water, etc in the redeveloped area.

Street vendors were removed as part of the redevelopment work in the area in 2020. Dedicated zones have been developed on each side of Kartavya Path for selling snacks. Vendors will no longer be allowed to sell food on the front lawns between Man Singh Road and C-Hexagon.

Over 200 vendors were operating when the stretch was handed over to the Central Public Works Department for the redevelopment work in 2018. The revamped Central Vista has space for seven vending zones, including two near India Gate at C-Hexagon. Five of them have space for 40 vendors each. There will also be two amenity blocks at India Gate with 16 shops.