Gurgaon: The Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) is set to commence a large-scale anti-encroachment operation across 44 residential and commercial sectors starting Monday. The drive aims to clear the right-of-way, which refers to the total land width reserved for public infrastructure such as roads and utilities. The operation will be carried out in phases throughout May and June.
Background and Objectives
This initiative follows a five-day demolition drive conducted by the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP). The focus is on removing all forms of unauthorised encroachments, including kitchen gardens, extended ramps, flower pots placed on public land, temporary kiosks, pushcarts, and other obstructions. HSVP officials have appealed to residents to voluntarily remove such structures before the scheduled dates to avoid penalties and property damage.
Detailed Schedule for the Drive
The authority has prepared a comprehensive schedule for the operation. In areas under its estate office-2, the drive will take place as follows:
- April 27-28: Sectors 27, 43, 31, 32A, 24, 25A, and 30.
- April 29-30: Sectors 39, 45, 28, 42, and 51.
- May 4-5: Sectors 57, 49, 50, 38, 46, 40, and 41.
- May 6-7: Sectors 47, 52, 52A, 53, 55, and 56.
- May 8: Sectors 54, 29, 32, and 44.
In estate office-1 areas, the drive will run from April 27 to July 1, beginning with Sector 21 and followed by Sectors 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12A, 14, 15, 17, 18, 22, 23-23A, 37C, and 110A.
Official Statements and Enforcement
HSVP officials emphasised that the move is essential to ensure smooth pedestrian movement, emergency access, and road safety. “The department has deployed enforcement teams and will be assisted by engineering wings, horticulture staff, and local police for ground support,” an HSVP official stated. With repeated warnings issued in advance, the agency asserted that no relaxation will be granted once demolition begins.
Previous Drive and Court Order
The enforcement wing of DTCP reported on Thursday that it had removed more than 7,500 encroachments from over 15 colonies during a five-day demolition drive that concluded on April 22. These actions follow a Punjab and Haryana High Court stay on the state’s stilt-plus-four-floor policy and a subsequent government order directing agencies to clear right-of-way violations.
A major concern for the court was the apparent mismatch between the city’s existing infrastructure and the additional burden likely to result from extra floors. Referring to an on-ground inspection conducted by a court-appointed commission in DLF-1 and Sector 28, the bench observed that internal roads originally planned to be 10-12 metres wide had, in practice, been reduced to motorable widths of only 3.9 to 4.8 metres. According to the report, this reduction was caused by encroachments, weak sewage and sanitation systems, overpopulation, indiscriminate paving, and unregulated construction activities. These factors, the court said, narrowed usable road space and placed further strain on civic infrastructure.
