In Delhi, crackdown on illegally parked cars at Nizamuddin roundabout

The traffic police took action against the owners of 590 vehicles parked illegally in South Delhi’s Nizamuddin on Wednesday as officials launched a crackdown to clear a crucial arterial road and the area near the railway station.

HT had reported on Tuesday how an anti-encroachment drive being carried out by a multi-agency panel had failed to ease problems in the Nizamuddin area, where the problem is most acute right outside the Hazrat Nizamuddin police station. The roundabout in front connects Mathura Road and Lodhi Road, a key corridor for traffic between south Delhi and towns in the national capital region (NCR).

The operation, which began on Tuesday evening and was carried out by the special task force constituted on the orders of the Supreme Court to tackle encroachment across the national capital, also targeted eight unlicensed vends.

This week’s crackdown was the third in 10 days after the squatters returned and people resumed parking illegally. On Wednesday as well, a row of cars was back in front of the Nizamuddin police station. “We removed at least eight squatters occupying pavements and warned them not to return to avoid punitive action. We have also directed the officials to identify repeat offenders and take strong action against them,” said Chanchal Yadav, deputy commissioner of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s central zone.

Satish Kain, assistant commissioner of police, south-east range, added: “This is an ongoing drive, which will continue in future. We will not spare the violators. Since Mathura Road is among the prominent stretches identified under the L-G’s (lieutenant-governor’s) decongestion plan for the city, we are taking all measure to ensure smooth movement of traffic.”

According to Kain, the challenge is in tackling the heavy traffic of pedestrians from the Nizamuddin Dargah who crowd the main road for auto rickshaws and buses.

“The narrow lane adjacent to the police station connects to the Dargah and it is not possible to take vehicles inside so a majority of tourists park their vehicles near the police station,” said a senior official from SDMC’s licensing department who asked not to be named.

A police official said the staff at the Nizamuddin police station had been asked to park elsewhere. “Now none of the cars parked outside the station belongs to our staff. As far as parking of other vehicles is concerned, the traffic police is taking action,” he said, asking not to be named.