MCD carries out anti-encroachment drive in Delhi's Naraina Industrial area

During the drive, footpaths and roads were made free from illegal occupancy to facilitate movements of pedestrians and the traffic, officials said.

Bulldozers being used to remove illegal structures during a joint anti-encroachment drive in Delhi. File | Photo Credit: PTI

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi on May 25 carried out an anti-encroachment drive in Naraina Industrial Area here as officials reached the spot with bulldozers and removed illegal temporary structures, authorities said.

According to civic officials, it was a routine drive where illegal kiosks, temporary structures, carts etc were removed from the streets in the Naraina area.

During the drive, footpaths and roads were made free from illegal occupancy to facilitate movements of pedestrians and the traffic, officials said.

"Removing encroachment is an obligatory function of the civic body and we are doing our duty conducting anti-encroachment drives. Such actions will continue to make the city clean and encroachment free," an MCD official said.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Durgesh Pathak opposed the action carried out in Naraina and alleged that the MCD "demolished" several shops without even giving notice to shopkeepers.

The unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had formally came into existence on Sunday, with IAS officers Ashwani Kumar and Gyanesh Bharti assuming charge as the new civic body's special officer and commissioner, respectively.

Earlier this month, a series of anti-encroachment drives were conducted by the erstwhile north, east and south civic bodies in different parts of the city, including violence-hit Jahangirpuri, Shaheen Bagh, Madanpur Khadar, New Friends Colony, Mangolpuri, Rohini, Gokulpuri, Lodhi Colony, Janakpuri, Hari Nagar among others.

Civic authorities had to face opposition from locals against the drive in Shaheen Bagh, Madanpur Khadar and Jahangirpuri.

The AAP had accused the BJP, which earlier used to rule the three municipalities, of targeting the poor through such drives.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on May 16 held a meeting with all AAP MLAs at his residence and asked them to oppose such demolition drives.

Mr. Kejriwal had said demolition drives in Delhi will render 63 lakh people homeless and it will be the "biggest destruction" in Independent India, and accused the BJP of "misusing" power.