MCDs may set up grills on footpaths: To deter street vendors, civic bodies won’t return seized goods for a week

A North body official said it is also targeting capital goods, such as carts and temporary sheds, instead of seizing small items, as they are costlier and will dissuade people from coming back.

The North DMC impounded 44 cars, the South 53 and the East 92 on Friday. At the same time, the North seized over 250 items, including vendor carts, the South seized over 200 items, and the East over 100.

East corporation commissioner Ranbir Singh said there are two types of encroachments — temporary, like vendors selling their wares on footpaths, and permanent, which include people constructing sheds illegally.

“Once the permanent ones are removed, the right of way is cleared. But a major fear is of temporary ones coming back. The civic body is planning to increase the fines for them as well. We also plan to install bigger grills near the footpath, so there is no option of shopping there,” the commissioner said.

The corporation issues fines up to Rs 600 for items seized from vendors, while the rate for cars and vehicles towed by them is Rs 2,000. At an encroachment drive in east Delhi’s Mangal Bazar in Laxmi Nagar on Friday, 42 permanent structures were demolished, while more than 100 shopkeepers broke unauthorised constructions on their own, officials said.

Sources said in several areas — such as Khari Baoli, New Delhi Railway Station, Aurobindo Marg, R K Puram and Laxmi Nagar — squatters are removed regularly, only to return.