MCG cracks down on illegal shops, seals 79 in Sadar Bazaar alone

Gurugram: After providing several warnings, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Friday took action against rising encroachments in Old Gurrugram and sealed 79 shops in Gurugram's oldest market Sadar Bazaar. Not only this, the Corporation has also warned that there will be more sealing in other parts of the city if the shop owners do not clear the encroachments. Besides Sadar Bazaar, the encroachment-free drive is also being conducted in Ghasola, Fazlipur and Vatika Chowk.

Illegal occupation of roads and footpaths has led to parking woes and made it difficult for pedestrians to walk in the crowded market. A massive fire had engulfed Sadar Bazaar two years ago and it took a long time for the fire tenders to navigate through the streets of the crowded market. "For a long time, shopkeepers were asked not to encroach on public spaces or allow others to sit in front of the shops. Even I visited and asked for it and requested for a meeting but they did not budge. Video-recording was also done. Ultimately, the shops were sealed," said MCG Commissioner Yashpal Yadav.

For long, there have been complaints that prime areas and footpaths are being deliberately encroached in the city. The problem has also given rise to a confrontation on religious lines. The most visible form of trouble, however, is being witnessed near the Airforce ammunition depot. After a Punjab and Haryana high court order, the district administration was forced to raze down structures built in the range of 300 metres of the Defence area.

While the civic body claimed that its officials are working towards providing better walking spaces for the citizens, residents do not seem to be impressed by the claims. Complaints of encroachments in the city continue to come in large numbers at the MCG office. Even as the Corporation has conducted large-scale campaigns to remove encroachments from the city pavements, residents have often highlighted that encroachment on pavement is a regular sight in the city.

Residents complain that not only the old parts of the city but also the posh areas face the problem of lack of space for the pedestrians. "Problems of encroachment continue to be rampant in the city. Unfortunately, it is not only in the old parts of the city but also in the posh areas. MG Road, better known as Mall Mile, has an extremely poor quality of footpaths in the city," said Raghav Sahni, a city resident.