Anti-encroachment drive to clear roads, green belts launched

Taking note of encroachments upon its green belts and footpaths, the Encroachment Wing of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) conducted an anti-encroachment drive along master roads of Sectors 49 and 50 on the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) and the dividing road of sectors 49/47, in front of the Park Hospital. The action was taken to address the issue of illegal hawkers and traffic congestion.

GMDA District Town Planner RS Batth said many complaints pertaining to the presence of illegal street vendors and hawkers were received from the residents and the action was taken accordingly.

During the drive on the SPR Road, around 60 shanties were cleared from the 0.5 kilometre area. The vendors/hawkers attempted to halt the drive, but the GMDA team continued it with full force. On the dividing road of Sectors 49/47, seven ‘khokhas’ were demolished, while many wrongly parked vehicles were towed away.

The drive was conducted as per the directions issued by the Chief Executive Officer of GMDA to clear the green belts and footpaths. DTP RS Batth, Assistant Town Planners Mange Ram and Satinder, Junior Engineers of the Enforcement Wing Sumit Kumar and Ashish Tyagi along with 50 JEs of GMDA divisions were present during the drive. Seventy police personnel were also present.

This was the first such drive in the city that saw the participation of such a large number of officials. “These anti-encroachment drives will be intensified further to beautify the city roads and green belts. Strict action will be taken against the violators who are found re-encroaching the GMDA area,” said RS Batth.