Delhi squatters’ spots of choice: Areas next to civic offices

While roads have been partially cleared over the course of the 11-day-old drive by the special task force formed on the instructions of the Supreme Court, flagrant violations right outside the offices of civic agencies have been largely ignored.

Areas outside the offices of enforcement agencies in the Capital remain infested with squatters and illegally parked vehicles despite the ongoing anti-encroachment drive, laying bare the freedom enjoyed by those breaking civic laws.

NDMC officials remove unauthorised heavy generators during an anti-encroachment drive, at N- Block in Connaught Place, New Delhi. (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

While roads have been partially cleared over the course of the 11-day-old drive by the special task force formed on the instructions of the Supreme Court, flagrant violations right outside the offices of civic agencies have been largely ignored.

When HT went around the offices of enforcement agencies—municipal bodies, transport departments and police—on Monday and Tuesday, it found row after row of illegally parked vehicles and arbitrarily constructed vends, kiosks and makeshift commercial structures.

The office of the north and south Delhi municipal corporations, the primary agencies enforcing the anti-encroachment drive across the city, was found lined with autorickshaws and bicycle-rickshaws, with private vehicles parked illegally in bylanes.

At the special branch of Delhi Police on Old Delhi’s Asaf Ali Marg, taxis, cars and official vehicles were choking the already congested road.

And at the Delhi Secretariat in ITO, visitors’ vehicles were parked were parked on entire side of the Sachivalay despite there being a designated lot on the road.

No action has been taken against squatters at none of these places despite routine drives by enforcement agencies.

“Removing illegal parking is like a tug-of-war, we can never completely remove it. However, we are joining hands with all the agencies concerned to have regular drives around areas that have the problem of illegal parking on roadsides and repeat offenders will be fined accordingly,” Delhi Police spokesperson Depender Pathak said.