NEW DELHI: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Wednesday morning launched a targeted eviction drive at the mini market adjoining Connaught Place, aiming to remove illegal vendors and encroachments from the bustling Janpath area.
The operation began at around 8 a.m., with approximately 30 police personnel deployed to maintain order. According to officials, the drive proceeded peacefully, with no incidents reported. “Many vendors leave their goods on the street overnight, which is not allowed under the rules. Today’s drive was a routine action to keep the area clean and remove encroachments,” an NDMC official said.
This drive follows a pattern of similar anti-encroachment efforts across Delhi. In mid-May, NDMC and Delhi Police conducted a late-night operation at Sarojini Nagar Market, removing between 150 and 200 unauthorized shops and stalls from footpaths and pedestrian areas. The action, which extended into the early hours, was aimed at restoring public access, though some traders claimed that even licensed structures suffered damage during the process.
These interventions have drawn criticism for their sweeping nature. Vendor associations and activists have pushed back, arguing that these measures fail to distinguish between unauthorized encroachments and legitimate, certificate-holding vendors. At a public hearing on May 19, convened by the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), leaders decried such evictions as violations of vendor rights, denouncing the removal of licensed vendors as “collateral damage.”
In June, hundreds of street vendors and hawkers held a protest at Jantar Mantar, accusing authorities of evicting them and sweeping away their wares, allegedly against the law.
Officials, however, maintain that enforcement will continue. NDMC has been conducting routine anti-encroachment actions not only at Janpath and Sarojini Nagar but also in other parts of Lutyens’ Delhi, including Connaught Place, Khan Market, and nearby residential colonies. The council has argued that unregulated street vending contributes to congestion, fire hazards, and sanitation issues, warranting repeated action despite opposition from vendors’ groups.