Footpaths in Delhi’s GK-1, Nizamuddin freed from encroachments after Supreme Court order

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on Wednesday started an encroachment removal drive in areas such as Greater Kailash-1, near Nizamuddin Dargah and Okhla Phase-I. The action was initiated on the directions of the Supreme Court on Monday in connection with encroachment and parking problem in residential as well as commercial areas in the national capital.

A senior SDMC official said in Greater Kailash-I the drive was conducted at Hansraj Gupta Marg where encroachment from the footpath was removed in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court.

“As many as 400 permanent and temporary structures were demolished which included guard cabins set up on footpaths right outside several houses in GK-I. Nearly 100 plant pots were also removed from the footpaths. We had issued 19 challans on account of encroachment on public land,” a senior SDMC official, privy to the development, said.

The official added that the anti-encroachment drive will continue in other areas of south Delhi as well.

The action comes two days after the Supreme Court expressed concerns over the growing parking menace and encroachment on pavements in the city.

The apex court had noted that footpaths are meant for pedestrians and many people encroach footpaths for reasons such as extending the garden, making security guard cabins, etc. “All these are encroachments of public space. We direct that all security guard cabins should be built within the plot area and not on the footpaths,” the court had observed.

“In any colony where the footpath is found to be encroached upon, strict action should be taken against the owner and the encroachment should be removed from the footpath. In case such house owners, after removal of the encroachment, again encroach upon the footpath then rules may be framed to discontinue municipal services like water, electricity, sewage to the residence of the encroachers,” the Supreme Court had said.

The SDMC officials said that it was a joint encroachment removal action which saw participation of officials from the maintenance, licensing, horticulture and DEMS departments. During the drive one JCB, one platform, two cranes, one lifter, five trucks and one tipper were used.

Encroachments were also removed from near Nizamuddin Dargah, block D and F surrounding area Okhla phase-I, P-block South Extension part-II. Temporary sheds, plant pots, canopies were removed from these areas, the official said.

In Najafgarh zone of the SDMC, the anti-encroachment drive was carried out in Dwarka sector 19 and at Ambrai village. Another SDMC official said an area of 2,500 sq feet of footpaths were freed from encroachment. The department had removed eight steel counters, tables, tank, wooden counter, utensils, chairs, boards in the drive there, the official said.

Following the Supreme Court directives on parking in residential areas, the SDMC had on Tuesday decided to start a new pilot project to regulate parking in Lajpat Nagar-III residential area and revive its old project in C-block of Lajpat Nagar-II. The SDMC will submit a report in this regard to the SC after implementing the pilot project.