GURUGRAM: The citywide anti-encroachment initiative by Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), set to commence on Monday, has now been postponed.
This decision has come in light of a pending petition before the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding the stilt-plus-four-floor construction policy, which is tied to numerous encroachment cases. Although the court declined to halt demolitions in the city, HSVP officials indicated that the drive would only proceed following explicit instructions from the bench.
A senior HSVP official, who requested anonymity, confirmed the delay. “The initiative has been postponed as the matter is under High Court review. We await clear directives before we move forward,” the official stated.
The planned demolition activities were to be executed in phases, akin to a prior operation conducted by the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) in private developer colonies. These efforts aim to clear the right of way (RoW) by dismantling illegal extensions, such as kitchen gardens, extended ramps, flower pots on public land, temporary kiosks, and street carts, among other obstructions.
Previously, HSVP had urged residents to voluntarily remove these structures, warning that bulldozer action would ensue if they failed to comply, and had organized a sector-wise schedule for the operation to ensure smooth pedestrian traffic, emergency access, and road safety.
During a previous five-day drive that concluded on April 22, the DTCP’s enforcement wing removed over 7,500 encroachments from more than 15 colonies, following the High Court’s stay on the stilt-plus-four-floor policy and subsequent government directives to rectify right-of-way violations.
