The Gurgaon Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG), and the Gurgaon traffic police collaborated for a major anti-encroachment drive on MG Road Tuesday afternoon, demolishing 40 ‘illegal’ vending carts.
The operation, led by the enforcement wing of the GMDA, was planned following a recent meeting chaired by GMDA CEO Shyamal Misra, where MCG Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya and other officials discussed the persistent problem of encroachments on MG Road.
The road, a key artery in the city lined with commercial establishments and residential societies, has been a focal point for complaints from residents about illegal vending disrupting traffic and pedestrian movement, as per a GMDA spokesperson.
MG Road, designated as a no-vending zone, prohibits carts or vendors from operating along the stretch. Two GMDA teams and four MCG teams targeted two major areas: near MG Metro station/Heritage City and Iffco Chowk/Beverly Park 1 Society. The operation involved around 30 personnel.
Before the drive, GMDA and MCG conducted awareness visits, directing vendors to clear the area and informing them of the regulations.
R S Batth, nodal officer for encroachment removal, emphasised the authority’s commitment to keeping MG Road free of encroachments. “We are on the job and assure residents that regular drives will be conducted to ensure permanent removal of encroachments. We will also investigate if any local individuals or mafia are involved in facilitating these illegal carts. Such activities will not be tolerated, and vendors are advised to obtain permits and operate only in designated areas”.
While the encroachments on MG Road were temporary, the GMDA spokesperson said regular drives would continue to maintain the stretch’s accessibility for residents and commuters.
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In April, the municipal corporation and GMDA removed over 200 encroachments by shops on a 2.5-km stretch from Mata Mandir to Sector 5 during a two-day drive.
The demolition drive took place on both sides of the road. Illegal sheds and advertisement boards were removed, and generator sets were instructed to be relocated to stable rooftops. Also, construction work within a 900-metre zone of an ammunition depot was stopped.