North civic body to impound and auction abandoned vehicles

Ahead of Diwali, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (North DMC) will start impounding and auctioning vehicles left abandoned in residential areas and on streets

Ahead of Diwali, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (North DMC) will start impounding and auctioning vehicles left abandoned in residential areas and on streets under its jurisdiction.

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The decision was taken by the standing committee in a meeting Tuesday. According to civic body authorities, a survey to ascertain the number of abandoned vehicles has already started. “After the survey is completed, notices to remove vehicles from streets and colonies will be pasted on dumped vehicles and if they are still not removed within three days, we will impound the vehicles and send them for auction,” a senior official of the north corporation said Tuesday, while requesting anonymity. The official added that as per the previous records, there were nearly 200 vehicles dumped on roads and colonies in different areas of the north corporation.

“Since we don’t have the exact and latest figures, a fresh survey was started and it will be completed in a few days. We hope to remove abandoned vehicles from the streets before Diwali,” Chail Bihari Goswami, chairperson, north corporation standing committee, said.

He said it was a common sight to find rickety and mud-crusted vehicles in residential colonies or on streets which not only lead to snarls but also create a hindrance in sanitation work.

“People generally park their scooters or cars on streets to reserve space right outside their houses but that affects the cleaning and sweeping work. Many a time, it is seen that people dump garbage beneath the abandoned vehicle. To discourage this and improve sanitation, we have decided to impound and auction such vehicles. This exercise is also expected to bring in revenue for the cash-strapped corporation,” Goswami said.

Besides, the corporation will also carry out a special cleanliness drive ahead of Diwali. Garbage will be lifted daily from local area collection points, instead of on alternate days. More vehicles will be pressed into service to clean dump sites and roads. Junior engineers of the area have been made nodal officers for the drive. The corporation will also prune tree branches, which are less than 20cm in width. However, due to the fund crunch, beautification of parks and painting and polishing of park gates and grilles will not be conducted this year, the official said.