Revision as of 04:54, 21 December 2016

Encroachment: North Delhi

The Times of India, Dec 21 2016

Spots identified by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation for first phase of decongestion drive, December 2016; Picture courtesy: The Times of India, Dec 21 2016

Chandni Chowk to Narela: North corpn to drive out encroachers

Mayank Manohar

North Delhi Municipal Corporation is set to remove vehicles permanently parked in highly congested markets like Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid, Paharganj, Ashok Vihar, etc, after the NGT ordered Delhi's civic bodies to clear market areas of all encroachments. P K Gupta, commissioner of North Delhi Municipal Corporation, said they have identified 12 major places for the drive in the first phase, after which it would be expanded to other areas.

North Corporation has selected Chandni Chowk, Jama Masjid area, Tank Road, Gaffar Market, Raj Niwas, Ashok Vihar market, Narela main road, Alipur market, Jwala Heri mar ket, RG Complex Prashant Vihar, Ram Nagar, and Paharganj in the current drive.

“We will remove abandoned vehicles and start night sweeping at these places in the first phase. Old, abandoned cars not only clog the market, they also affect sanitary conditions of the area. Most of these cars have been parked here for several months, a few have been even lying here for the last couple of years. We have requested traffic police to assist us in this job,“ Gupta said. Traders in these areas are divided over the decision. “At least 15-20 vehicles have been parked in and around Paharganj market for a long time.These vehicles mostly belong to the residents of nearby areas, while a few are owned by some traders. We welcome the corporation's drive,“ Yogesh Kathuria, president of Paharganj market association, said.

Traders in Chandni Chowk and Jama Masjid area say that several proposals were made by the corporation in the past, but nothing has moved on the ground.

“They proposed several things to decongest Old Delhi in the past. Almost 25% of Parade Ground and Gandhi Maidan's multilevel, under ground parking facility is taken up by abandoned cars. Every lane of Chandni Chowk, Ballimaran, Dariba Kalan, and Jama Masjid areas is choked by several disused, rusting, and abandoned cars. Old Delhi will become a much better place once all these cars are removed,“ said Naresh Khanna, president of the jewellers' association of Dariba Kalan market.

The situation is much the same in most of the market places in North Corporation. “We have several vacant plots in Narela where we will dump the abandoned vehicles for the time being,“ Gupta said.