MP asks officials to remove encroachments in old city localities

Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal on Thursday conducted a detailed inspection of Chawri Bazar, Sitaram Bazar and the Mata Sundari Gurdwara area, instructing civic and police officials to act swiftly to remove encroachments, repair damaged roads and streamline traffic in the congested old city localities.

Accompanied by the Deputy Commissioner of the City Zone of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Delhi) and senior officials from the Delhi Jal Board, PWD, BSES and Delhi Metro, the MP reviewed civic issues on the ground that have long troubled local residents and shopkeepers.

District BJP president Arvind Garg, Delhi BJP media head Praveen Shankar Kapoor, office secretary Amit Gupta and BJP leader Deepti Indoura also took part in the inspection tour.

Khandelwal directed MCD officials to remove several permanent encroachments in Chawri Bazar to ease congestion in its narrow lanes. He asked officials from the Jal Board and PWD to immediately repair sunken sewer lines and potholes to improve the condition of roads.

At Hauz Qazi Chowk, he instructed police personnel to act against illegally parked scooters and ensure proper regulation of rickshaws, which often cause traffic snarls at key intersections. In Sitaram Bazar, he called for road repairs and suggested that pavement vendors—many of whom are local residents—should be properly organised and allocated designated vending zones to maintain order while protecting their livelihoods.

The MP further asked the Deputy Commissioner of the City Zone to launch a targeted campaign to remove illegal encroachments by scrap dealers, particularly in areas behind Deendayal Upadhyay Park on Mata Sundari Road, near the gate of Lok Nayak Hospital and around the Gurudwara Sahib.

Khandelwal stated that these steps were necessary to restore smooth traffic movement, improve sanitation and address long-pending concerns of local traders and residents in these heritage markets of Old Delhi.