Delhi: MCD drive to remove encroachment ahead of G20 summit to start on Feb 6

The MCD will carry out a 15-day drive to remove temporary and permanent encroachment from footpaths in the national capital and will clear all kinds of waste from roads to beautify the city ahead of the G20 Summit in September, the civic body said on Saturday.

MCD Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti has issued directions to all officers to be ready for the driver that is slated to begin from Monday, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in a statement.

Under the drive, the body will also remove or rearrange overhead cables.

"In view of the G-20 summit, Municipal Corporation of Delhi would carry out a 15-day intensive drive, for cleansing and upkeep of major roads of Delhi along with all road owning and using agencies," the civic body said in the statement.

"The drive being undertaken in pursuance to the direction of the Chief Secretary of Delhi shall exclusively start w.e.f 6th Feb 2023 for a period of 15 days and all field functionaries shall actively participate in the drive. The main objective will be to give a facelift to the city roads," it said.

During the drive, MCD said, it would pay special attention to those stretches of roads which are prone to waterlogging.

"In coordination with other agencies, during the drive temporary /permanent encroachment would be removed from footpaths to ease the traffic and pedestrian movement, all unauthorized posters/hoardings would be removed from the roads including all kinds of waste/malba," the statement read.

"The overhead cables also pose an ugly/unkept look on the roads, these cables would be removed/managed, wherever possible by the agencies concerned," it added.

MCD has recently got overhead cables removed in the Mehrauli area.

Dark spots (insufficiently lit road spaces) as identified by Delhi Police will be lit, the civic body said.

India assumed the yearlong presidency of G20 on December 1. More than 200 meetings will be held in India across 55 locations.

The G20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US, and the European Union.