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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

Updated on: Sep 14, 2022, 23:10:46 IST
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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)
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.

The teams will operate between 6am to 10pm under the supervision of a chief medical officer and deputy director (enforcement).

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.

  • Paras Singh
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Paras Singh

    Paras Singh is a New Delhi-based journalist with Hindustan Times, where he serves as Deputy Metro Editor. He reports on urban governance, the Delhi government, the Delhi BJP, water management, the environment, communities and city life. He joined Hindustan Times in 2021 after beginning his journalism career at The Times of India in 2016, where he covered civic bodies, the water and power sectors, and urban infrastructure. Over the last decade, some of his reporting has led to significant public impact, with investigations into environmental violations, corruption and illegal industrial activity contributing to multiple judicial interventions by the National Green Tribunal and the Delhi High Court. A graduate of St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi, Paras studied journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi. Having extensively covered the capital's evolving civic and governance landscape, his recent work increasingly explores Delhi's history, built heritage, urban evolution and the relationship between people and place, alongside continuing to report on governance and public policy.Read More