NEW DELHI: Residents around Delhi’s Turkman Gate area faced a harrowing time after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) carried out demolition drive on an illegal medical centre and a banquet hall in the early hours of Wednesday at the Faiz-e-Ilahi mosque area.
The area in front of the Turkman Gate and also leading to the Delight Cinema was completely shut, with heavy police presence enforcing traffic restrictions and rerouting pedestrians.
Many people gathered around the area, curious to catch a glimpse of the site after demolition. The Delhi Police personnel were seen rerouting even pedestrians from that area to other roads and pathways, something that the residents of the congested area are not habitual of witnessing.
Residents complained about considerable inconvenience, with many missing work due to traffic blockades. “Many of us had to miss our office due to the extreme traffic and roadblocks today,” a resident said.
Though the demolition was over in the early hours, the removal of debris continued till the evening on Wednesday.
Another resident, Nadeem, who runs a tyre shop opposite the mosque premises, said how such drives disrupt daily life. He underscored how the demolished dispensary played a significant role in the lives of both Hindu and Muslim residents as well as visitors. “One could take a doctor’s appointment for just Rs 20-30, making it affordable for all,” he added talking about the medical centre.
While walking across the stretch towards the Delight Cinema, one could see a notably silent sight at an otherwise busy and honking stretch.
The guard standing in front of the cinema hall said, “Even though the movies are running in the screens today, the footfall is less due to the traffic restrictions in the area.”
“All the offices in this stretch have been declared shut for today and many employees of these offices, including those from the HDFC Bank here had to go back in the morning,” he further pointed out.
“They were informed about the office closure after they reached work in the morning,” he added.
Additionally, the autorickshaw stand beside the cinema hall was also seen idle. Drivers were lined up on the stand but were unable to get a single ride since the morning due to heavy police presence.
Many residents complained of heavy barricading that was not removed till the evening.