GURUGRAM — Acting on recent Supreme Court directives, the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has initiated a large-scale anti-encroachment campaign to clear the city's public roads, footpaths, and green belts. On the first day of the operation, enforcement teams successfully cleared approximately a 15 to 16-kilometer stretch of public right-of-way (RoW).
The comprehensive drive mobilized 12 GMDA enforcement teams, comprising 36 officials and supported by 14 earth-moving machines. During the aggressive push, authorities demolished over 425 illegal sheds, 225 elevated ramps, 200 permanent structures, 150 temporary extensions, and removed 50 vending carts.
Focus on Old Gurugram and Newer Sectors
The initial phase of the drive heavily targeted Old Gurugram alongside key city thoroughfares. Major stretches cleared include the route from Atul Kataria Chowk to Sheetla Mata Road and Rezangla Chowk, Old Railway Road (Church Gate to Railway Station), Dhanwapur Road, and the dividing roads of Sectors 4–9 and 5–6.
The GMDA also cracked down on illegal structures, boundary walls, and unauthorized green-belt extensions across newer developments, including Sectors 81, 82, 82A, 85, 86, 89, 90, and 93.
District Town Planner (Enforcement) RS Bhath noted that illegal access roads in Sectors 7 and 9 were shut down. “There was some public resistance, but when owners were told about the Supreme Court directions and the problems caused by encroachments on public spaces, they agreed, albeit reluctantly,” Bhath said.
Reclaiming 15 to 20 Feet of Public Space
According to Assistant Town Planner Satender Kumar, several shop owners on Sheetla Mata Road had illegally extended their properties 10 to 15 feet into public areas. In some locations, unusually high ramps intruding onto the main road were dismantled. Across Old Railway Road and the Sector 4–7 dividing road, the GMDA successfully reclaimed between 15 and 20 feet of encroached land.
Through dialogue and warnings, officials successfully persuaded several locals to clear spaces voluntarily, with nearly 20% of the identified encroachments removed by the violators themselves.
Clear Directives and a 300-km Target
GMDA CEO PC Meena emphasized that the core objective goes beyond demolition; it is about systematically returning public spaces to citizens. Violators have been given a strict 24-hour deadline via public announcement to clear demolition debris. If they fail, the GMDA will clear the rubble and recover the costs from the encroachers.
Moving forward, the authority has set an ambitious target to clear approximately 300 kilometers of public right-of-way across Gurugram. Cleared stretches will be strictly monitored by the GMDA to ensure the encroachments do not return.
