GMDA, NHAI remove shanties along NH 48, connecting roads

Gurugram: The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) along with the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials carried out a large-scale demolition drive along NH 48 near Rajiv Chowk and connecting roads, officials said.
They said that repeated complaints were received from the residents around that area about road side shops and eateries causing traffic congestion and transforming some private as well as government land into slums by encroaching them.
According to officials, several illegal roadside shanties were demolished in the presence of police personnel and magistrates. The drive was also carried out on the road leading to Sector 38 as the main road leading to the sector was heavily encroached.
The enforcement extended to connecting roads leading to Sector 38, where encroachment normally obstructed traffic flow.
The drive was led by RS Bhath, district town planner, enforcement GMDA, who noted that the authority’s enforcement wing conducted multiple inspections of the affected areas in the days leading up to the operation. Offenders were notified beforehand and urged to clear the area or face action. “Encroachment is the primary cause of traffic congestion and also diminishes the city’s aesthetic image,” Bhath said. “The government invests substantial resources in developing roads and green spaces for public benefit and such illegal occupation undermines these efforts. Strict action is necessary to maintain these amenities and improve traffic flow.”
In another initiative, GMDA also conducted a demolition drive on Sohna Road, from the Ghasola Road to Vatika Chowk, where over 45 shanties and five kiosks were removed from pedestrian pathways and main roads. This one-kilometer stretch was cleared to restore pedestrian access and reduce traffic congestion. The enforcement wing’s staff, including assistant town planners Mange Ram and Satinder, along with GMDA’s junior engineers, supported the operations by directing encroachers to vacate government land.
The GMDA has announced further inspections along other roads to ensure compliance and is prepared to take similar action in other congested areas.