Residents flag shrinking public spaces due to encroachments in Gurugram

RWAs from sectors 40, 45, 31 and 23A allege repeated complaints but little sustained enforcement on the ground.

Residents across Gurugram are raising alarms over illegal encroachments that are shrinking public spaces in their neighbourhoods. Locals shared from sector entrances occupied by hawkers and local cart vendors to pavements blocked by generators and makeshift grills, pedestrians are finding it increasingly difficult to navigate streets safely.

Locals claim vendors often return within days of civic drives, allegedly after receiving advance warnings. (HT Archive)

Residents of Sector 40 have raised concerns over encroachments on internal sector roads, citing generators and personal grills that occupy significant pavement space, leaving little room for pedestrians.

Abhimanyu Yadav, president of the Sector 40 RWA, said, “Generators have been installed in both markets and residential areas, taking up a considerable amount of space. Similarly, in market areas, hawkers often keep their carts on the roadside, which not only reduces pedestrian space but also restricts vehicle movement.”

“During weekends and the festive season, we can see local carts taking up major space of the road, which only leads to traffic congestion on the main roads. We have repeatedly taken up this issue with the authorities, but no action has been taken so far,” he said.

Meanwhile, residents of Sector 45 have highlighted the encroachment of footpaths on main roads by tea stall owners and tobacco vendors.

“There are hardly any usable footpaths left in the city, and the few that exist are occupied by hawkers and tea stall owners. Most of the space on these footpaths is taken up, forcing pedestrians to walk on the roads,” said Punit Pahwa, a resident of Sector 45.

“Not only are the footpaths affected, but the sector entrances, which should be visually appealing, have also been encroached upon by local cart vendors. Near a chowk by Ardee City, numerous hawkers have added to the problem,” he said.

Ankita Tiwari, a resident of Sector 31, said, “While some hawkers maintain cleanliness around their carts, I have seen others dispose of garbage directly onto the roadside. With no bins provided near their stalls, customers often throw used paper plates and other waste onto the streets.”

In Sector 23A, residents shared that hawkers often disappear when civic authorities visit, only to return within a day or two. “The vendors seem to get a tip-off when the teams are coming and temporarily leave. But after a few days, they are back again,” said Bhawani Shankar Tripathi, general secretary of the Sector 23A RWA. “The green belt of our area is also encroached with hawkers and vendors putting up their carts. What is the point of green belt when such activities are taking place in it,” he added.

Yash Jaluka, Additional Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), said, “Our teams have been clearly instructed to take action whenever complaints about encroachments are received. Recently, we acted on a complaint from Sector 47. We are treating this issue very seriously and are committed to addressing it.”

Meanwhile, a senior official from the district town planning department, Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), shared that the team is continuously taking action on illegal encroachment across the city. “We will continue to ensure that the footpaths, markets and green belt of the city remain free from encroachment,” he said.