Vikas Marg stays choked in the wake of hard-nosed Transport Dept, Delhi Police
The Delhi Government’s move to make congested Vikas Marg, considered the lifeline of East Delhi, as no-tolerance zone has failed due to ill-conceived plan initiated by the district magistrate (DM) of East Delhi. Not only civic body but also Transport Department and Delhi Police refused the East Delhi DM’s initiative to make Vikas Marg no-tolerance zone in the wake of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
Causing a major gridlock on a daily basis, Vikas Marg virtually chokes in the presence of a beeline of hawkers, street vendors topped with the screams of two and four-wheelers. The administration therefore, decided to free up nearly 50 metres of all footpaths and service lanes and came out with a blueprint but it came a cropper as the drive failed to take off. It appears that the DM did not hold talks with the police and the municipal authorities before going ahead with his grandiose plan, said an official.
Insiders said the reason behind the delay is Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s involvement in Government’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The move to start an anti-encroachment campaign came after a high-level meeting was convened by the East Delhi district task force to begin the drive on Monday. The Transport Department officials refused to participate in the move saying that they have only one enforcement team for East Delhi and it was not possible for them to station the team one particular place. Delhi Police, which had earlier agreed to cooperate with the district administration, also seems to be reluctant in this drive as removing encroachment is the job of civic agencies.
According to officials, the next date for the beginning of campaign will be decided only once the next meeting is convened. The worst affected area is the stretch between the main laxmi Nagar intersection and Karkari More which remains packed day and light. The roads everyday carries a load of nearly 90,000 vehicles in the midst of scores of vendors.
Before its makeover into hundreds of shops and commercial infrastructure, this stretch commanded multiple residential buildings. The transition invited jams for the commuters as the vehicles are not only parked in the designated area, but also on the main road.
Once in full swing to commence the anti-encroachment campaign, the police officials have now hinted at a possibility that the drive may not get a second chance. While the transport authorities have cited the presence of one enforcement team as the reason for the delay, the commuters are facing a harrowing time in and around Madhuban Chowk as the encroachment has left no space for pedestrians to walk.
The traffic intersections and meeting points via internal roads have also escalated the traffic jams. In total, there are five intersections in laxmi Nagar to Karkari More, with at least five minutes of waiting time at each point.
The Public Works Department (PWD) has ensured that it will revamp the total stretch in a way which will create a hassle-free route for the pedestrians sans the parking woes. During an inspection, the officials witnessed that the major cause for the gridlock on the entire stretch was illegal parking and vendors on Vikas Marg and Madhuban Chowk.
Encroachments on footpath have become an increasing cause of worry for pedestrians with zero space to travel by foot. With the administration’s laxity on the issue, commuters will have to wait much longer for a hassle-free ride across the narrow lanes at the heart of East Delhi, Vikas Marg.